Prelude to Eternity
by WalkingNorth
Summary: Even eternity must be taken one day at a time...
1. Chapter 1

Tendrils of thick darkness stalk the halls of the Hellsing Mansion. In the daytime, the old house is a sight to behold, its imposing majesty drawing gasps of admiration from those who dare venture close enough to inspect England's finest 'Horse Riding School.' But to one newly blooded fledging, who only sees the house under the cover of night, it is a haunted and lonely place.

"Eep!" Seras gasps. 'What the bloody hell was that?' Taking a deep breath, she shakes her head at her own childishness. There are very few things to be afraid of at Hellsing, and the scariest of all would never be contented with merely facelessly toying with her. Her Master much preferred his victims to see his face. "Quite right on both counts Police Girl." Seras jumps at the deep baritone that seems to resonate from the very walls of the mansion's basement. She gets over her fright quickly and continues to her room, stubbornly ignoring the mocking chuckle of her Master following her down the corridors.

Seras stretches carefully as she wakes, sensing the cover of night, at the same time marveling at her ability to do so. Slowly but surely she is getting used to what she has become, no, what she is becoming. Pressing the button to lift the lid of her favourite four poster coffin, she grins. For no reason what so ever, she is in remarkably high spirits. Smoothing her mussed hair she climbs from her resting place and finds another reason to smile, it is the third time in a row that she has managed to avoid injuring herself on the lid of her own coffin. Somehow, despite it all, she is achieving a balance of sorts with her new unlife. Stretching, with tiny sounds of satisfaction, Seras mulls over the night ahead. It is the first one she has been given off in months, and she intends to train. Just this once she would get to spend some time exploring her own capabilities and limitations without her Master's sarcastic input. "Not that he ever bothers to train me anyway," she mumbles to herself.

A knock sounds at her door and she answers it with a cheerful, "Come in." She watches as Walter enters the room with her 'breakfast.' "Good evening Miss Victoria." he greets. She beams at the aging retainer, politely ignoring the crimson meal he carries, as per usual. "Good morning Walter, how is the world outside?" He smiles easily in her presence, reminding her that not everyone views her as worthless, not everyone sees her as her Master does. "No crisis arose while you were sleeping if that's what you mean." He pauses, his smile faltering just the smallest bit. "But Sir Integra wishes to see you." Seras tries not to pout. "Okay, just let me get dressed." The butler nods and adds with a meaningful look at her paler than usual complexion, "After you eat of course. It is not that urgent." The young fledgling looks crestfallen. It is going to be one of those nights after all. "Of course Walter. Thank you." The retainer bows and leaves silently, deserting the young midian to her thoughts. "There goes my training," she mumbles to herself as she glares angrily at the sachet of ruby liquor that currently presides over her table. Snatching up the bag as she passes it she considers, just for a moment, drinking it. 'A tiny taste…' Her throat burns for the relief she knows the packet holds and the thirst demands quenching. But she resists. And as she watches the sustenance spiral down the toilet with the rest of the dirty water, she wonders briefly if it has all been worth it.

A presence watches the young fledgling, not bothering to mask itself, almost daring her to notice. With a growl of distaste, he observes the end to her indecision.

"Enter." Her commander's reply is sharp and demands no nonsense from those who dare take up her time. "You wished to see me?" Icy blue meet hesitant scarlet. "Yes?" Motioning for Seras to take the file on the edge of her desk, Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing eyes the blonde as she flips through the information. With a small gasp Seras says, "But this is…" Her commander nods, "Correct. I want no mistakes this time Officer Victoria. Whoever is orchestrating these attacks is a professional and by turning him, they have gained intimate knowledge of Hellsing's operations." Integra pauses to take a deep draw of her ever-present cigar, the only truly human gesture the knight ever seems to make. "I will be sending no troops with you, likewise, Alucard has 'advised' me that you will not require his assistance. I, on the other hand, have my doubts." Seras flinches at the hard words. "You will leave in thirty minutes. You are dismissed." The authority in the other woman's voice snaps Seras from her thoughts in time to give a pointed salute. "Yes Sir." Turning to leave, she is held up by her commanding officer's voice. "And Officer Victoria?" "Yes Sir?" "Drink the blood provided to you. You are weak enough even with it." Seras nods, not trusting herself to speak. 'Does no one in this organization see me as worthy?'

Seras mulls as she prepares to leave for her mission. 'Why is it that the only people not scared of me, think me so useless?' She bites back a tiny sound of sorrow. 'I will not cry, not for them, not for him.' Visions of her Master cross her mind and she tries desperately not to think of him, tall and imposing in his never-changing red attire. It is as if he mocks the desperate way the soldiers cling to their uniforms, the Hellsing crest giving so many of them a purpose in life after seeing so much carnage. No matter how the bond between them seems to hum when he is near, she cannot bring herself to enjoy his presence, not when it only means that she has disappointed the only person left that is important to her once again. A knock sounds at her door and Walter enters when she responds. "Miss Victoria, I have the keys to the car for you."

Nodding to the two soldiers standing guard, Seras exits the Hellsing compound. Self doubt plagues her as she makes her way slowly through the night, the darkness doing nothing to impede her enhanced vision. "I should've taken the bloody car." she mumbles irritably to herself. Somehow though, the idea of being cooped up in another military vehicle had turned her stomach. Setting a brisker pace, she heads towards the town. Tonight there is no uniform, no Halconnen, just herself, heading into the dead center of town. One lowly fledgling. The brisk pace soon becomes a jog and all of a sudden, she is running. Feet pelting the streets she soon finds herself lost in the way the scenery passes her by, lost in the rushing, timeless feeling of her own near-effortless speed.

All too soon her destination is reached, and the site of Hellsing's most recent 'great battle' is upon her. Seras shivers unconsciously as memories of that night plagued her.

"_Master!" "Get out of here Police Girl." The pain, so much blood. _Even now Seras can only vaguely recall the time immediately following her injury. She remembers the blood though, every glorious, no, horrible drop of it. She can remember the taste of her Master's essence on her tongue, like fire and ice coursing through her veins, searing her body and setting her aflame. She also remembers afterwards. When Sir Integra was released from prison, when she had finally met up with her Master again.

_Her nostrils flare at his scent. Suddenly, it isn't just him anymore, there is something indefinable to him, an almost tangible air she hadn't noticed before. He is concentrating on what his Master is saying though, intent on her first commands since her release from incarceration. Far too busy to notice his fledgling's growing conflict. It isn't until later that night, closer to the day that she can actually speak to him._

"_Master?" His voice sounds in her head, in response to her question, aimed recklessly into the darkness of her coffin. 'What is it Police Girl?' He sounds vaguely annoyed, it is always that, or amusement in his voice whenever he deems it necessary to converse with her. She tries her best not to shrink back from his tone. On some level, she is grateful he has not decided to answer her in person, if only for the distraction his presence now incites. "Master, in the Tower. When I…" Before she can finish his dark, rumbling chuckle fills her head, turning swiftly to laughter. 'Police Girl, you did not think that a few mere drops of my blood would give you freedom?'_

Seras can remember the burning shame that came with her Master's mockery. How was she to know otherwise? He has taught her nothing of vampire lore, the little she has gleaned from Hellsing's books doing naught to combat her lack of knowledge. Curling her fists she sets forward to the Tower. 'And to make matters worse, there's that strange feeling every time I'm near him now.'

The mirth of the shadow that lingers near her fades abruptly at her last thoughts. Digging a little deeper into his fledgling's mind, her Master discovers something that pleases him immensely. "So, my Police Girl has taste after all?"

Seras tries to ignore the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. For some reason being back there is making her feel… 'Hungry' whispers a voice in her head. Ignoring it, she continues through the darkness. It can't be helped that she is feeling like this, it has been only a few months since the Incognito incident, and it seems that every brick of the place calls to her, some part of her mind urging her to get down on her hands and knees and lick every inch of the dark stains she keeps passing. Drawing her gun, a futile gesture against her own mind, she continues her sweep of the building.

Following her feet, Seras finds herself back in that room. The room where it all happened. _'No matter how hard you scrub at it…' _Her gaze is drawn magnetically to the place where her Master fell on that night. Her mind's eye showing her visions of his glistening blood pooling on the floor. Breathing hard, an unnecessary, ingrained habit, her fangs lengthen, the feeling as anticipatory, as dissatisfying as salivating. _'Succumb…'_ Fighting the urges that tear through her body, she notices dimly a thump behind her. Turning slowly, her gun lying forgotten in her hand, she sets her eyes on the creatures that are clumsily attempting to sneak up on her. She grins, unconscious of the fact that she so resembles her Master and, in an instant, is amidst the ghouls. Cutting them down with furious swipes of her hands, pistol-whipping some and slicing open the others, she hisses her pleasure at the battle. They go down far too quickly, her need for… for… _action_ unsated. "Pathetic," she growls spitting on the corpses, "You make me sick." "It would worry me if they made you feel any other way girl." Turning sharply at the Freak's intrusion, she narrowly avoids a bullet, intended for her head. Grinning maliciously, she licks her lips, "Oh, yes," she breathes, "It's not over yet."

The shadow watches the battle, enjoying the glow of his fledgling's eyes, amused at the way she plays with the Freak, something she enjoys watching her Master do, knowing now that they can't actually hurt him. He chuckles quietly, though he doubted even _he _would live to see the day she admitted it out aloud. He grins, she should have expected such a thing as frenzied as this, starving herself for so long. There are consequences to actions for those who are not as immortal as he.

Gasping, she holds the head of the defunct Freak in her left hand. Bringing her right up to its cheek, she stares at the gun in confusion for a moment, before dropping it and running her fingers through the thick black smear of blood on its face. Bringing her bloody hand to her mouth she makes a deep sound of anticipation, only to feel an iron grip suddenly descend on her wrists. The hold forces her to drop the severed head of the Freak and pulls her hand forcibly from her waiting tongue. The figure behind her chuckles, tightening its grip as she tests it. "The blood of filth is no meal, fledgling." She hisses at the deep voice and moves, blindingly fast, to sink her elongated fangs into her captor's white glove.

Alucard grins at her attack, eyes for once not hidden behind his glasses, hat willed into nothing. He allows her just a moment with her fangs in his flesh then, with a speed that she cannot quite fathom, he pins her neatly against a stone wall, her body resting on the stain of his blood. She thrashes and hisses at him, blood lust fuelling her bold attacks and for once he is not amused. Not when he feels a deep growl ripple up from his own throat, blood lust rising in the ancient nosferatu, pulsing in response to the flashes of need flowing through their bond. Without a word he presses her harder against the wall, freeing one hand to delve into his billowing red duster. He produces a blood pack, dark liquid from the recesses of his person, and tears it quickly with his fangs. On sight of the meal, she quietens, glowing orbs fixed on the package. He grins at her sudden compliance, blood haze fading for a moment at her silence. With one smooth movement, he lifts the bag to her mouth and she is drinking it, desperately, inhaling the sweet fuel. The container is empty in a moment, flaccid plastic between her teeth and he tears into a second bag, producing a low hiss of anticipation from the young draculina. This one she takes with more leisure, savoring it slowly. His grin fades, the bloodlust in her eyes seems to purr with pleasure and his orbs are drawn to the sensual movement of her throat. Gently, he nuzzles her neck for a moment, laving her pulse sensually with his tongue. She pauses in her feeding as she shudders, a tiny moan escaping her before she resumes her meal. With a short growl, he succumbs to his own need and bites deeply into her, throaty sound voicing his satisfaction. How sweet her blood remains even now.

Shuddering against her feeding Master, the blood pack runs dry and Seras finds herself with a clearer mind. Vaguely, she realises that she is being fed from, a solid body pinning her completely against cold stone. Her consciousness fights the pleasure that courses through her, radiating from her Master's bite. 'Bite!' "Eeep! Master!" With sudden, quite useless, thrashing, she fights to free herself from his grasp. He finishes at his own leisure, pulling his head up to meet her blush darkened face. "So easy to frighten Police Girl." he purrs, releasing her and taking a step backwards. His hat and glasses appear nonchalantly, contrasting the residual blood haze in his face, a languid grin making her shudder with its suggestion. Drawing back her hand she slaps him, the sound ringing out in the silence of the building. 'How dare he?' His face turns dark, the lazy pleasure of the feed disappearing in an instant. Catching her wrist before she can withdraw it, his grip tightens until she feels something rupture in the limb. "You **will** respect your Master Police Girl." His rage is barely concealed behind the yellow tint of his glasses as he disappears. "None of this mess would have occurred had you obeyed me in the first place and drank your blood."

With a slowly dawning horror, Seras stares at the carnage around her, the bodies of ghouls spread in thick smears across every surface of the room including her own clothes. She observes the tell-tale weight of dust in the air and knows that at least one Freak has met its fate between these walls. With a gut wrenching sob, she sinks to the floor, hiding her face in her hands. "Oh God, what have I become?"

------------------------------

a/n Well, chapter one of my first ever fanfic is actually finished! It's probably really bad but if you do want me to continue just say so. Please review and tell me what you think, especially about typos! Flame me if you want, but I have only seen the anime and Ova 1, so don't go too hard on me.

Disclaimer: I do not, never have and never will own Hellsing or its associated characters nor am I profiting from this story.


	2. Chapter 2

Dark water rushes beneath her as she stares blankly into the Thames. Absentmindedly, she rubs her neck and shivers at the tiny wound, still healing there. Her Master's bite lingers.

Pushing all other thoughts from her mind, Seras tries to visualize, objectively, the room she walked out of several hours ago. Feeling emotion threaten to consume her, she steels herself against the flashes of carnage that drive themselves to the forefront of her musings. The ghouls, they had been in uniform. Seras frowns as she tries to absorb the information, she has seen ghouls in uniform many times, but somehow, this had been different. Of the six or seven (making sense of their remains had turned her stomach and proven difficult, even with the help of her new senses) there had been at least three different crests present. She had recognized D-11 as well as Hellsing among them.

Slumping forward Seras sighs, hating the feeling of uselessness. Had she any forethought, she would have tried to capture one, perhaps Sir Integra might have a way of extracting information from the beasts. Glaring angrily at the churning waters beneath her, Seras suddenly hates them. Hates all of the faceless uniforms that battle each day against eachother. "People fighting people, it isn't right." She mumbles dejectedly.

A change in the breeze alerts her to his presence less than a second before he speaks. "And what of vampires fighting vampires Police Girl?" he asks mockingly. Seras ignores him. "They have worse things to worry about than other humans." Her Master grins, she can sense the maniacal smile split his jaw at the prospect of such an easily won debate. "And what of them? We drink to survive Police Girl. They seek blood for vengeance. Enjoyment." He states it almost flatly, she can tell he is forcing the mirth from his voice. As if she would fall for such flights of fancy, she knows a monster when she sees one. Whirling on him, suddenly angry at his callous confidence, at his self-assurance, that ever-present smirk that leaves a body to wonder if someone didn't let him in on life's joke, she cannot help but accuse him. Although she knows she stands before him with fists curled like a child in the midst of a tantrum. "Vengeance Master? Fun?" She laughs a little hoarsely, visions of her own all too recent bloodlust clouding her mind. "What do you call it when you kill them? Compassion? Or is it something deeper?"

He regards her with disdain, pity for the child before him. "Police Girl, what of this?" From inside his billowing red cloak he draws the Cassul. She glares at it, at him, daring him to laugh at her for not replying. "And those below us?" Making a sweeping gesture, he indicates the homeless that dot the streets nearby, huddled around garbage-bin fires, almost invisible against filth-covered buildings. Seras feels herself begin to understand what he means, but that doesn't make it right. "Master, they do not choose…" All of a sudden, he is close, appearing before her, much closer than before, cutting off her words, "And what Police Girl, what of Nuclear weapons?" His voice rises, eyes flashing behind yellow glass, "And what of hunger and artificial diseases? And how about the wars your precious humans have?" He finishes with anger in his voice and she steps back, frightened by her suddenly emotive Master. "I… I don't know, I just, I mean… You…" She stutters desperately, unsure of her own convictions, but his wild laughter stills her tongue. He quietens and, almost gently, takes her chin in his hand, lifting her uncomprehending face to his own. Meeting her eyes, he is suddenly dead serious. "Think child, before you condemn us all to hell. Their god forgives a great many blunders."

She turns from her Master, almost grateful that he releases her from his gaze. Too many conflicting emotions now accompany his presence. As if there weren't enough before. "I was sent to take you back Police Girl." Nodding numbly, she allows him to grasp her shoulders and feels her world dematerialize around her.

* * *

Dismissing the young vampire, Integra watches her leave. "What do you make of it?" Her question would not seem directed, but a figure steps out of the wall behind her. With a chuckle he replies, "It was just another infestation Master. No different from the others." Stubbing out her cigar she frowns down at the crystal ashtray, wondering at the thoughts reflected within. "I think you know what I mean Alucard. The ghouls Officer Victoria spoke of were all wearing uniforms. Not only that, but from several different organizations." She looks up to where the ancient vampire stood. The shadows are empty. "Dammit Alucard."

* * *

Staring at the lid of her coffin, Seras tries to sleep. _"Their God forgives a great many blunders."_ What did he mean by that? Annoyed, she turns on her side and traces the dark wood grain with her eyes. After all of that, she hadn't even found the target. Sir Integra had not seemed angry at what she had reported but still… "What exactly was I supposed to be looking for?"

Alucard had deposited her outside of her commanding officer's office and informed her that she should report before fading away. On entering she had haltingly recounted the events to Integra minus the blood lust and incident with her Master. The older woman hadn't seemed at all phased by her failure to silence the target, only deep in thought.

"She didn't expect me to find him so why…?" 'Why what Police Girl?' Seras 'eeps' and shoots upwards, banging her head on the lid of her coffin. "Dammit," she mutters, rubbing the throbbing bump, "So much for my record." Her Master's chuckle fills the air around her and she realises that he is in the room with her. Hitting the button to lift the lid of her coffin, she climbs out, regarding him warily. Lounging back on the one chair in her room, he regards her from beneath his red hat. "Did you have to do that Master?" She tries to ignore the unsettling scent that accompanies him. Raising an eyebrow at her he replies, "No, but I saw no reason not to." Grinning, he leans the chair back impossibly further, revealing his entire face to her. "Why do you think she sent you Police Girl?" Seras refuses to look him in the eye, "I don't know, I thought it was to find… the target." "And who was the target Police Girl?" he questions, deliberately provoking her. She angers, "You bloody well know who he was!" His grin fades at her insolence and she instinctively cowers back from him, "I want to hear you say it." She opens her mouth to snap at him, but thinks better of it. Not meeting his eyes, she does as he wants. "The target was Ex Lieutenant Ferguson." Her Master nods thoughtfully. "Of course, and what were you to do if you found him?" "Silence him," she replies without hesitation. "Such an automatic answer Police Girl," he chuckles mockingly, "They have you so well trained." He glances towards the full blood pack defrosting on the table. 'I wonder how they managed it?' "But would you have done it?" She glares at him, finally meeting his blood red eyes. "Of course, it's my duty!" His smile is small, self satisfied, as he disappears, "I thought not."

* * *

A figure sits in her office, a half full glass of southern comfort held loosely between her fingertips.

"You moved too slowly. You could have collected them days ago but instead you allow an artificial to find them and use them. It is not acceptable." He flinches almost imperceptibly at her words. "I apologise Ma'am but we have been very busy. Things will not organise themselves." She sighs deciding not to mention the old saying about finding good help. Some of her men are so insufferable. "Why didn't you bait her, lead her away from the goods before they expired? Surely you are capable of that." Her voice has gained a nasty edge to it that makes the other back away from her desk a little. "We were arranging it but, well, it was disgusting Ma'am, she went straight into a blood lust. I don't know what they were thinking sending a starving vampire into the city with no human supervision. We just couldn't risk it." The raven haired woman nods at the man on the other side of her desk, eyes never leaving the glass in her hand. "Very well. It would seem that we will have to keep a closer eye on her. I want constant surveillance when the fledgling is out of Hellsing grounds. I will not have this happen again." The vampire stares at his Master. "Ma'am, her Master was with her though, shadowing her the whole way." She frowns at the information. "Alright. Assign a more experienced recruit. We wouldn't want some fool blundering about behind her and giving the game away." The other acknowledges her order with a sharp salute. "Yes Ma'am." She stops him, "And Consecro." "Yes?" "How did Hellsing find them?" He pauses and regards her carefully, "We believe it was a fluke Ma'am. If they thought it was important, they would not have sent the fledgling." His Master nods and he is relieved not to have angered her. "Dismissed."

* * *

A/n WellI made it to chapter two but still no reviews. :(There is a storyline forming here, albeit slowly, I tend to get around to these things in my own way and time grin Anyway, thank you for reading and please review. Flames will be regarded as great entertainment!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hellsing or its characters. Darn.


	3. Chapter 3

"Not this time." Trees blur past Seras as she picks up speed. "I can, I will…" Blood pounds in her veins and breath she does not need comes out in short pants. Dodging to the left and then right, she closes in on her victim. Tensing herself, she strikes with all her might.

Crash. Stopping stock still she breathes hard, listening with satisfaction to the tearing sounds behind her. When all is silent she turns and grins. "Yes." Her victim this time is an unfortunate tree at the back of the Hellsing grounds.

After yesterday, she had been surprised to say the least when Sir Integra had given her the night off. She had truly expected some reprimand for not finding her target, but this, she had not expected.

_"Officer Victoria. I have sent Alucard on a mission and I don't expect him to return until late tonight. You may have tonight off but you will stay away from the other troops. Understand?"_

A small frown flits across Seras' face. Okay, so she had been given the night off, but Integra needn't have said anything like that. It wasn't as if she was going to go nuts with her training and actually hurt anyone. Storming towards her fallen target, she kicks the tree trunk, shifting the heavy flora a metre or so with the malicious prod. It brings a smile back to her face. "Well, if nothing else at least I'm improving." With a grin she glances up at the sky, noting the light beginning to stretch across it. 'Better get inside.'

A silent shadow follows the fledgling as she heads back to the mansion. It regards the fallen tree warily, her growing strength something that he is not looking forward to reporting to his Master. Suddenly, Seras turns, eyes narrowed as she searches behind her. "Is someone there?" she calls uncertainly and the shadow forces its self to fade a little, despite the drain the growing sunlight puts on its power. "Master, is that you?" The fledgling is moving towards him now, his precautions taken too late and he realises that she knows he's there. "Master, this isn't funny. If you have something to say then come out!" She is now annoyed. The infuriating man making her itch for something to strike. "Master I," She stops, uncertainty growing. But usually she can smell him, that give-away scent unique to her Master isn't present. "Master?" She is frowning deeply and it disturbs her follower that she is staring straight at him. Anger pulses through him. Insolent child. How dare she think to question him!

"Go back to the mansion fool." The growl takes Seras by surprise and she starts a little. The deep voice had sounded almost in her head. The tone in the velvety voice is clearly dangerous, a warning she should heed. "Ah, but I…" A strong grip takes her arm and she feels herself wrenched toward the mansion. "Ow, Master, you're hurting me!" A low growl cuts off her complaint and she pales, finally getting the hint. She feels him lean close to her and his breath travels over her neck, sending shivers down her spine. His fangs trail over the mark on her neck and she feels it burn at his touch. Something doesn't feel right to Seras, this isn't his usual teasing. The pain in her arm grows and she feels something fracture, faults running along the bones already stressed by Alucard's earlier reprimand. Beginning to feel frightened, she struggles against her captor. "Such strength little one." he purrs. All of a sudden, she feels a clear picture of his intentions and panic courses through her as his elongated fangs scrape painfully against her. "Master, stop, please!" Her struggles grow and she knows that he is doing it on purpose. The mark of her sire flames angrily against her skin and she sees red. "NO!" Tearing herself free, she feels her arm shatter, his teeth drawing blood as she pushes away from him. He watches as her eyes turn a deep crimson, body readying itself for attack. "Dammit, I said NO!" Her angry words fly unanswered and she suddenly realises that he is gone. Baring her teeth, she growls angrily into the morning, "Bastard."

* * *

"More of them Alucard?" He nods, ever-present grin barely ghosting his lips. Integra frowns, anxiety growing in the staid woman. Alucard can sense his Master's discomfort, an unusual feeling in her, a feeling which, almost instantly, becomes anger. "Dammit. They'll pay." He grins, he would be disappointed if she had reacted any other way. Tauntingly, he reaches into her mind, pushing images of the crime scene to the forefront. "All of them official forces Master. I believe there was even a detective of Scotland Yard among them." The young knight growls at her subordinate and threatens, "Get out of my head Alucard, I have seen the reports." He grins as he fades, already tiring of the teasing. "As you wish, my master."

* * *

Pain explodes through her body. "Master!" He cackles at her cries. "Master, why?" She tries desperately to keep him in front of her, but he is stalking her, moving lightly through the shadows of the halls. Seras fights to quell the panic that is beginning to overwhelm her, the psychotic glint in his eyes the only giveaway in the inky darkness of her surrounds. "Master, stop this, pl…" She is cut off as he materializes behind her, one hand gripping her by the hair and the other pulling painfully at her limb, twisting her injured arm. He tears her head to the side, exposing her neck to him and she can just see his eyes darken, "Please Master, no…" Her voice is a whimper, all hope escaping her and she feels his mark burning against her skin. He bends his head forward and she braces herself for the searing agony, the agony she knows now that he can inflict with his bite. "Please no…" Her whimpers fall on deaf ears as he sinks his incisors deep into her flesh. "Master!"

'Master!' Alucard's head snaps up at his fledgling's agonized call, his peaceful sleep now shattered. Growling, he materializes his cloak and hat with a offhand thought. What trouble has his childe found at this time of the day?

Alucard steps through a dark portico into his fledgling's chambers, on guard for any sort of attack. The room is empty save the desperate sounds that emanate from her coffin and the smell of fresh blood. He probes her mind as he approaches the coffin, curiosity overcoming his irritation at being woken so early. The confused chaos of her thoughts stings him and he pushes harder, the need to understand angering him. Mental barriers like shards of glass haphazardly erect themselves before his intrusion, not strong enough to keep him out, but vicious and desperate, a deterrent to his prodding. With a growl he reaches her coffin and slams back the lid, tearing it from it's runners, to reveal his thrashing fledgling. The smell of her blood rages in his heightened senses. Her eyes open instantly and she screams, the high pitched audio assault of a desperate draculina and he actually takes a step back as she flings herself from the coffin. She darts quickly to the back wall of her room, his body blocking the direct path to the door and she regards him with frantic eyes, a trapped animal.

Her hair is mussed and he notes that she nurses her arm almost imperceptibly. A tear in her flesh, right over his brand, trickles hot blood down the collar of her crumpled uniform. "Police Girl. What's going on?" His voice is smooth, almost concerned at her appearance. She hisses sharply at him and he knows that her instincts are running high, a definitive sign of her distress. "Answer me!" His voice rises with the demand, patience thin at such an hour, he is having trouble holding onto concern for his disobedient fledgling. When she doesn't answer he takes swift action, moving blindingly fast to pin her against the wall of her room.

"Seras Victoria, you **will** obey your Master!" Something shatters in her eyes and he watches his fledging break in front of him, a strange sight for the fiery young lady, never has she shown him such a face. Her entire body grows limp in his grasp and her head drops forward, almost making contact with his shoulder. Her voice is strained. "I am sorry Master." He relaxes his grip and steps away from her, eyes never leaving hers. "Police Girl, you are injured." He states it, not entirely looking for an explanation. Whatever she was dreaming about has left her terrified, not an emotion he sees often in his stubborn midian. Without further words, he sweeps her up into his arms and deposits her on her bed, ignoring the way she shies herself from his touch. Standing before her, he reaches for the arm she is nursing and she makes to pull away from him. With a low growl he claims the limb, long slender fingers pressing into and exploring it deftly. "A greenstick fracture." She watches him timidly and the combination of her fear and fresh blood frustrates him no end. "This should have healed Police Girl, you have not been drinking." He is not accusing her, though his voice holds a little malice. As he releases her arm, she stands obediently and moves to the table in the center of the room. He watches silently as she picks up the defrosted blood pack and simply consumes it. No mess. No fuss. No arguments. The enigma deepens. He frowns and approaches her, his fledgling's strange behavior becoming more of a concern each passing moment. She flinches away as he takes her, almost tenderly, by the shoulders. 'Relax Police Girl.' His velvet baritone sounds in her head and her body wilts. Catching her carefully in his grasp, her Master carries her back to her bed and deposits her sleeping form. With a frown of concentration, he reexamines her arm. 'It is mending. Good.' He studies her sleeping face for a moment. Never, not even in Cheddar, has he seen his fledgling display such desperation. Leaning low over her, he laps at the blood staining her neck, sealing the wound gently with firm swipes of his tongue. He straightens with a scowl on his face. She carries the scent of scum.

* * *

That's chapter three. I hope I haven't confused anyone, but this story is getting more complex. I blame the characters. As always, read and review. And thank you to the three kind people who already did, you totally made my day :3

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.


	4. Chapter 4

Only a baby chapter… But vital to my sluggish plot :D

* * *

Shouts fill the arena and a handsome young vampire, Consecro, grits his teeth in concentration. Before the vampire stand two ghouls and behind them, a second concentrating midian. The first ghoul stands stock still, mind meshed intimately with the nosferatu behind it. The ghoul's hand twitches, flicking unidentifiable bits of gore at the other, wicked blades attached to its mangled forelimbs glint dangerously in the fluorescent lights. The vampire behind grins suddenly and the ghoul lurches forward. Feigning left, then stepping right, it twists as it moves, blades flashing across the flesh of its opponent as it struggles to move away. The second ghoul is far too slow and, in a matter of seconds, is in scattered pieces across the arena. 

The sound of slow clapping causes the victorious vampire to look up and take a bow. The fight's sponsor stands, her raven hair glinting darkly. "Well done, I see that control is increasing." Consecro grins maliciously, basking in his Master's praise. "Of course, we are working day and night on the formula." She smiles and he stands straighter. "I expect a ten fold improvement before the week is out though. Control must be better, you know what we require for them." The vampire before her nods, biting back a scowl. Nothing is ever enough for her. "As you wish Ma'am." She does not acknowledge his reply, only turns and, adjusting her jacket, exits the bloody room. Consecro watches her fluid movements with greedy eyes. 'The power she possesses will be mine.'

Outside of the arena Consecro's Master is met by an inky shadow as she makes her way down a dank, brick passage. "You have news?" The shadow almost nods at her words. "Speak." A deep voice echoes off the walls of the ancient hall. "It seems we have underestimated our opponents…" She scowls. "And what could possible give you that idea Csont?" The shadow ripples at her displeasure, "The fledgling grows at an alarming rate Mistress. I sense a strange aura about her…" Csont's Master looks up at his tone. "If you have fed from her," Her tone lowers, ebony tendrils gather around her fingertips, "If you have endangered our operation in any way." She raises her hand into the blackness surrounding her and the tendrils gather at what might be called the neck of Csont's shadow. "I will not hesitate to make an example of you." In one smooth motion the shadow ripples and takes on a human form. Curling his hand beneath his Master's fingers, he kisses her hand softly. With a cunning smile the creature intones, "I would never betray my Mistress."

* * *

Bang 

There were the first seven,

Bang

Then the five others,

Bang

The six the round table were abuzz over

Bang

The four the men brought in the night before last

Bang

And now the three Alucard is currently 'enjoying'

Click

"So you're back." He grins as he floats, almost gracefully from his position near the ceiling. "Actually Master, there were four of them." "Blast." Alucard watches with interest as his Master reloads her gun. 'Nothing at all like the Jackal, far too delicate.' "Alucard! Have you been listening to a word I'm saying!" He glances to his Masters face, ever present smirk inciting more anger in the commanding blonde. "Dammit Alucard. I want this found out. I have three of my best information gatherers working on this and…" His sleek voice cuts in, "And they have found nothing. Really Master, human investigators?" Integra scowls at her servant who promptly chuckles. "So flustered Master. This is not like you at all…" She closes her eyes and lets out a breath with a sigh. Alucard is right. Infuriating bastard. "Whether I am myself or not is irrelevant vampire." She reopens her orbs and finds him fading before her. "I want this plot uncovered."

* * *

Dammit. I hate OCs and here I am putting them in a story. Oh well, they make good cannon fodder if nothing else. Read and review my miniature chapter if you like. Oh, and thank you so much to Doll Face Sally who is my only reviewer for the last chapter. It's good to know that someone is still readingthisslow little story. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Hellsing. 0.0 but it's fun to write about!


	5. Chapter 5

Alucard's lips turn down in a sneer of disapproval. For three nights now his fledgling has been avoiding him. Concentrating, he locates his disobedient childe in her room. With a grin he dematerializes. She will have to tell him everything.

'Oh god, he'll find me eventually and then…' His mouth curls in amusement as he appears in her room, careful not to be seen. She is thinking about him. Her hand reaches gingerly to her neck and she trails her fingers along the wound that stubbornly refuses to heal, still bleeding on occasion. 'I can't keep going this way.' He watches her lift the blood pack to her mouth and drink it, haltingly. 'If I can just do everything right. Just until I figure out what's happening…' He suppresses a chuckle at the distaste flavoring her thoughts, centering around her evening meal. 'I just have to fly under the radar a little longer…' "I wasn't aware that you **could **fly Police Girl." She jumps three feet in the air at the sound of his voice, instinctively turning and backing away from him, deeper into her room.

He frowns sharply at her reaction, he can feel her shivering from six feet away. "Coward."

Seras' eyes widen. Did she just hear him correctly? A coward? She bristles for a moment and then reality sets in. "Yes Master." His eyes narrow and a sharp darkness permeates the room. "Police Girl. I tire of this game." Seras' eyes flick up to his face. His anger is well masked and he isn't making any move to get closer to her. Maybe, she should try talking to him…

A chuckle reaches her ears. "There's no need Police Girl. Your thoughts speak far loader than any words." Her brows furrow and she fights to keep her temper even. Realization has dawned. Her Master is playing with her again. 'Enough.' With a conscious decision she straightens her back. "Master. I want you to leave."

Alucard watches his fledgling's responses with great pleasure. For a moment he'd wondered if she'd pull through. After leaving her two nights previously, he could remember only her broken compliance with his every thought. No fledgling should behave like that. A grin tips on his lips. 'At least no fledgling of mine.'

She watches emotions flow across her Master's face and finds her fury growing. He is standing there, after all that he's done, just standing there grinning like a fool. Grimly, she feels a sudden bond with Integra. "Dammit! Stop that!" His smile is almost content, his voice a low purr. "Yes… that's it Police Girl, let it out. You are vampire, not some fool mortal." His words only serve to inflame her anger, most likely his exact intention. The urge to scream at him washes over her, to scream and cry and tear him apart until there is nothing left of the monster that torments her. With a blink, she remembers that he can hear her every thought, that she is the one putting that grin on his face. A decision is made. "Good evening Master." With that, she turns her back on him and steps over to her wardrobe to dig out her boots. Tonight is for training.

Alucard blinks at the dismissal. A moment ago he had been deep in her mind, enjoying the turbulence of her emotions but now... He concentrates a moment more. There is nothing but cold there, something intangible, like the air that hangs over a tepid lake. "Police Girl." He growls a low warning at her and is angry to see that she does not respond. "Police Girl, do not ignore your Master." He can feel the anger in her thoughts, but it is like trying to catch a shadow in the dark. "Police Girl, enough. You have proven your point." He waits to see her fear, wanting almost… needing to find that benchmark in her. When she finally turns, she has finished lacing up her boots. "Are you still here?" Fury tears through him, he can sense her bravado but for some reason it only makes him angrier. He should be enjoying her brittle facade, playing with it, poking it until it shatters, toying with her as he does his Master. But no, not from his fledgling.

With a swift step forward he catches hold of her, forcing her to face him, to meet his uncovered eyes. "Police Girl, that is enough. You **will** reveal what you are hiding. You **will** tell me what is going on inside that tiny mind of yours." Her skin burns beneath his fingers and he watches as the half-healed wound on her neck reopens, the blood flowing fiercely, bubbling as it passes over his mark. A new voice echoes in the room. "Such brittle threats, to stoop so low to control your own fledgling." Alucard feels his childe stiffen at the sound of the voice and she hiccoughs quietly. Terror flows through their bond and he interprets this immediately.

Stepping away from her, he confronts the voice, staring directly at where the faint presence is strongest. "I do not find myself breaking her bones to make her obey me." He feels the presence bristle at his words and Seras, standing rigidly a few feet away from them, vaguely realises that this is a battle of pride. "You should watch over her better." The presence shifts slightly to be nearer Seras. "Though it is amusing to see an ancient that behaves like a boy with an insect." Seras' eyes flick to her Master who grins. "An insect perhaps, but **my** insect. I would encourage you not to damage my property in future." His voice is laced with malice and Sears feels a shiver travel down her spine at the possessive tone. The presence chuckles. "Of course, but Alucard…" The elder narrows his eyes. "How then can I survive in a world you consider yours? I must eat you know." Seras' nervousness gives way and she can't help giggling. This person obviously knows her Master. He sends her a silencing look and she stops abruptly. Seras trembles as a silken sensation brushes against her cheek. "You may call me Csont young one."

Then he is gone.

* * *

Integra narrows her eyes at the young vampire before her. Seras is standing there, shuffling her feet, unable to meet her commander's gaze. The girl is hiding something. With a sigh Integra decides that she doesn't want to know, that if it is truly important she will persuade Alucard to find out for her. "There is likely to be a large amount of ghouls present. A D11 squad stumbled on the group earlier tonight. Communications were few, but it appears they were overpowered and turned." She observes her officer's further discomfort at the mention of her old employers. "In short, you can expect resistance, it has been quiet lately, but things may be about to get busy. Keep in mind that there were already four people missing in the area before D11 went in. It is likely they will now have a large force of ghouls." The girl begins to fidget again. Integra feels her resolve to question the woman's sire strengthen. "Dismissed Officer Victoria. You have your orders." "Yes Sir." With a sharp salute, the blonde scurries from the room. 

"Alucard, you can come out now." His body materializes from the shadows opposite to the spot his fledgling has just vacated. "Really Master, are you sure you're not just a little vampire…?" Integra scowls at his sly grin. "Enough. You heard the orders." He nods, even though it is a statement. "Then what are you still doing here?" Alucard grins and steps away, fading into darkness. Integra keeps her eyes fastened on his form until he is gone, his disembodied grin hanging in the air like a Cheshire cat for a few seconds before he makes his exit.

* * *

"Why aren't we telling Sir Integra Master?" 

The young fledgling shifts the weight of her Halconnen with one hand, the other fiddling nervously with the fresh plaster attached to her neck. Alucard scowls at the reminder. "Because she needn't know. Really Police Girl, I don't know what you are worrying for. This is the first decent silencing in the city for weeks, you should be enjoying yourself." Seras avoids looking at her Master, instead staring at the men preparing around her. "I know Master, but she said there are four here." 'We may lose a lot of soldiers.' His mouth turns down at her thoughts. Still worrying over mortals. His eyes fix on the foreboding building before them. Set in the scummier part of Nodnol (couldn't resist) the abandoned theatre is daunting to his fledgling. Following her sire's gaze, Seras shivers and mutters, "It's like something out of Anne Rice." Alucard chuckles, "Freaks are never very original Police Girl."

* * *

"Blasted Master." Alucard had disappeared shortly before they were ordered to move in. "I hate it when he does that." Seras cannot seem to shake the bad feeling she has about the theatre. She glances around a corner, surveying the corridor before she moves on, footsteps echoing in the massive building. 'It's probably the coven in the book, I'm just worried that there'll be as many Freaks here.' Her thoughts are hollow, doing nothing to quell the rising anxiety. "What's your position Officer Victoria?" Her CO's voice crackles through her earpiece. "I'm moving past the entrance now, heading for the theatre itself." She keeps her voice even but cannot keep the scorn from her thoughts. 'Fancy sending a girl in alone, even if she is a vampire. Men!' 

Carefully easing open the great double-doors to the main theatre, she checks for movement before heading in. She has entered at the back of the room, hundreds of seats stretching downwards in front of her. The door makes a low thud as she shuts it carefully behind her. The theatre is in complete blackness. Seras sticks close to the wall, making her way slowly down to the front of the theatre, allowing her eyes time to adjust to the dark. Soon she can make out the stage, a heavy crimson curtain hiding the players. As she nears the halfway point of the room, a sea of seats stretching up and down to her right, she sees them. There are a dozen or so people seated at the front of the theatre, watching the closed curtains expectantly. They do not whisper or fidget, eyes trained completely on the red velvet folds. Seras renews her efforts to approach quietly, trying to ignore the eerie quiet.

Of course, she cannot bring herself to shoot first. "Stand and identify yourselves." She shouts it, her voice calm and even. They do not respond. "Stand and identify yourselves now, or I'll shoot dammit!" Still no response. A scraping sound fills the room and Seras' eyes are drawn to the stage, audience forgotten. The crimson curtain slowly rises.

* * *

Wow, my first attempt at a cliffhanger! lol Sorry not to update for so long, I won't make excuses, but I do want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to dragonlance for being my first Update Nagger. It was her review that made me sit down and work on this because it's great to know that people are actually enjoying my scribble. Please read and review, criticism is welcome if constructive. 

Disclaimer: Five chapters in and I STILL don't own it. sigh


	6. Chapter 6

Her sensitive nostrils flare as a wave of air hits her, fetid rot gushing from the stage. Her eyes fix on the players and Seras finds herself unable to look away as they begin their performance.

The stage is filled with rusting machinery, something the freaks must have foraged from factories and perhaps even a farm. The stage lights flick on and the dull metal glints wickedly. 'It's some kind of torture chamber.' Seras' realization weighs heavily on her chest. The remnants of several humans are torn and spread in grisly chunks about the equipment and stage, but it is the bodies of the immortals that give her pause. Attached to a massive wheel of some sort is a Freak, his chest laid open and staked in the oldest of fashions. His hands are pierced by what appears to be bones taken from his victims and even with his superhuman strength, they had held him fast through his dying minutes. Seras' stomach turns at the sight and she does not look too closely at the other four Freaks whose twisted bodies are displayed in a similar fashion. Each one is staked and tortured, not one having died a swift death. A pop, then a gush draws her attention and she watches as one of the bodies suddenly disintegrates, turning to dust and flowing freely to the floor.

The sound is enough to remind her of the rest of the audience. She finds that she has subconsciously moved forward and they are now seated behind her, no doubt preparing to attack. She whirls, gun trained on the seats. Her finger tightens on the trigger of the Halconnen but she doesn't fire, instead hopping for a moment on one foot as the weight of her weapon overbalances her. The audience has not moved. It certainly has not breathed. Her stomach tightens as she realises that they are ghouls. Or were. Several of the faces she recognizes from the photos of the missing. "How fitting." Her Master's voice never sounded so good. He appears beside her and she unconsciously sways toward him before catching herself. "They're all dead Master." His face might be called grim, even calculating, if not for the smirk that always throws a body off balance. "They enjoyed the show no doubt." Seras ignores his words, instead looking back at the stage. Another body disintegrates, this one with a politely quiet sound in the silent theatre.

Alucard watches his fledgling as she steps forward, led hand in hand by her nose and her curiosity. Her movements are that of a young predator, sleek but unseasoned. The thought widens his grin.

She doesn't recall moving, or approaching the stage. It is hard for her to think of anything but the stench of blood and death around her. Now that she can put her finger on it, she knows that the building resonates with it, that's what she has been feeling all along. So unsettling but definitely a familiar tone. Her feet lead her to the body on the wheel, tilted to an angle that displays best to the audience. The smell of the Freak blood is strong and she can tell he was turned only days ago. Her tongue darts out to whet her lips.

'Beautiful is it not?' Csont's voice sounds in her head and she replies without thinking. "Yes." His chuckle reverberates through her skull. "I am glad that you appreciate such things Seras.

Her eyes are clouded and he watches as she leans forward, taking in the scent of the body. 'Beautiful.' He moves to her quietly as he probes her mind, enjoying the emotions flowing through her, emotions she isn't fighting. His eyes narrow as she nods a response to a voice he cannot hear. Pushing harder, he enters her conscious thought and catches the sound of Csont's voice. '… appreciate such things Seras.' With a growl he flies forward and grips her shoulders, shaking her violently. "Enough Police Girl." Her glazed eyes stare up at him innocently, as if she hasn't just been conversing civilly with an enemy. "Master?" "Kill me…" The weak voice draws both their eyes as the Freak on the table attempts to escape his pain. "Please."

* * *

The Freak is deathly pale, only the mass of tubes running in and out of his chest keep him 'alive.' There is a large mirror covering the only wall of the room that is not devoted to medical equipment. Behind it stands Hellsing's leader.

Integra can feel the elder vampire brooding in the darkness by her side. "What is it Alucard?" There is silence between them as they both study the Freak on the other side of the mirror. "He will not survive Master." She does not acknowledge his words. The thoughts of the two stray and it would seem to any person who might observe them, that they are speaking at eachother, voicing thoughts rather than actually having a conversation. "I don't think we are going to get information from him." Alucard snorts, an unusual mannerism for the ancient. "Such scum. He cannot even heal himself." Integra frowns softly at the mention of healing. "And Seras? Tell me about the bandage on her neck. It's been there for days Alucard." 'Is she alright.' He ignores the concern in her thoughts. "She is fine. She will be better when she drinks her blood." Integra frowns. His words do not ring true, not when Walter informed her only hours ago that the fledgling has been frighteningly diligent with her meals. That left only one option. "I have ordered you previously to keep your hands off my men. That extends to Seras. She is one of my soldiers and I will not have you harming her." She feels the nosferatu stiffen at her side. For once she has set him off balance. Looking up at him, she sees the scowl work its way across Alucard's face. "She is **my** fledgling Master. She will always be my fledgling before she is your soldier." Integra ignores the anger his words bring. "Regardless Alucard, you are bound to obey me. I will not have her injured because the mood takes you." Her vampire growls low in his throat at the admonishment. "If the mood took me Master, Hellsing would not be standing." The seals on his hands glow at his threat and Integra knows better than to back down from his anger. "Go to your chambers vampire. You will stay there for the rest of this night." With a glower he fades, and a tightening in Integra's lips indicates her amusement. She feels Walter step in behind her with a chuckle. "Like a child sent to his room." She nods. "Summon Officer Victoria Walter. It is time we talk."

* * *

Seras watches nervously as Integra lights a cigar. The woman is completely relaxed. "Take a seat Officer Victoria." She complies, waiting anxiously for the anticipated chiding. "Please remove the bandage from your neck." Her eyes widen but she does as she is bidden. The bandage is fresh but it is already stained with her blood. Walter appears beside her and the kindly butler takes the sullied dressing from her and hands the young vampire a fresh one. Integra quirks a patient smile. "I won't have you walking around bleeding. I have no doubt that it is attracting unwelcome attention from Alucard." The girl blushes. It is true, her Master has been seeking her presence more often lately. "Tell me, how did that happen?" Seras looks up at Integra, wanting suddenly to tell the woman everything. "I…" Somehow though, it feels like a betrayal of her Master. "I was clumsy in my training. I guess I'm just not strong enough to heal it yet."

Integra watches the sheepish look on the fledgling's face. It is obvious that the girl is lying but then, it is not affecting her work. "Fine. Be more careful next time then." Seras nods, grateful that she is not pushing the subject. "I would like you to go down to the medilab and question the Freak you brought in. Alucard seems to think that he is not going to survive much longer and I am inclined to agree." The girl falters, "But surely it would be better for Master to speak with him. I can't read minds yet and that may be the only way to get information from him." Integra shakes her head. "A good notion but I have seen his questioning technique. I have lost several prisoners to him." Seras suppresses the shiver that runs down her spine, she doesn't have a hard time at all picturing her Master's 'technique.' "Yes Sir." Integra nods. "Dismissed Officer. I expect a full report tomorrow."

"Should I take an extra bag down to her tonight Sir Integra?" She nods. "Yes Walter. I think it may be a permanent arrangement. That wound looks as if it has barely healed." The aging retainer bows and turns to leave. "Do you think she'll drink it Walter?" He pauses, looking back at her thoughtfully. "I believe so. Miss Victoria is growing."

After he is gone, Integra stubs out her cigar in the ever-present ashtray on her desk, rubbing the stub along the Hellsing crest. "That she is Walter. But in what direction?"

* * *

The Freak does not rest easily. His eyes dart suspiciously to her as she enters. They do not leave her as she takes a seat next to his bed. "Hello." He does not respond. 'Well, I guess that would have just been too easy," Seras thinks. She reverts to plan two, producing a blood packet and proceeding to open it slowly. The Freak's eyes fasten onto her mouth as she sips the liquid slowly. "Please." Standing, she hands him the bag. She has to hold it, his hands are nothing more than bloody wounds from his bindings. He sips at the blood, unable to take more than tiny swallows. "Tell me what happened." His eyes narrow and she watches him, surprised to feel him feebly pry at her mind. Concentrating on blocking him, she responds, focusing on probing his. They stand, locked in mental conflict for long minutes before she gains the upper hand. Although she is young, the Freak is badly injured. "Who?" She can see the fight that took place, not really a fight even, the Freaks had been completely unprepared, celebrating their defeat of D11 with blood gluttony.

"I don't know." The Freak croaks the words and Seras eases a little on his mind, feeling guilty for the pain it is obviously causing him. "Why did they attack you?" The Freak chokes on the blood, droplets spraying across the white tiles of the room and she can see from the fear in his eyes that he won't answer. Withdrawing the blood pack, she presses against his mind. "Tell me." He cringes, "The ghouls… they wanted the ghouls." Seras' eyes narrow as she absorbs the information. "But the ghouls were all dead when we got there…" The Freak shakes his head weakly, eyes still fastened on the crimson in her hand. "No, we had, those cops. We had almost thirty of them. They killed the plainclothes and took the others alive." Her eyes widen as realization hits her followed closely by a strengthening surge of rage. Ferguson. That's what happened. "Who are they dammit!" Unconsciously, she has gripped his shoulders, the blood pack falling to the blanket that covers him, the spilt blood mingling with that which is already soaking through from his wounds. "I… can't…" The Freak chokes and she loses patience. Eyes flashing with rage she concentrates and thrusts back into his mind, tearing through anything in her way.

* * *

She is somewhere dark. There is screaming and her head hurts. She can vaguely remember asking for this, asking for this… pain? 'Seras…' She is scared. Who is Seras? "Who are you?" She feels herself floating and her eyes finally adjust to the darkness. "Seras. Step forward." Green eyes glow in the darkness and she can make out a figure. A soft glow surrounds him and she somehow knows that it is his aura. He must be strong. He is tall, taller than her Master, with the same raven hair but longer. His face is strong and slanting cheekbones cause dark shadows to slash over his jaw. "Seras, you are in too deep." He reaches a hand out to her and she remembers. 'I am Seras.' The man smiles, his green eyes glowing darkly. "That's right. You are Seras." She hesitates, not taking his hand. If it had been her Master he would have grown impatient. "Where am I?" The man holds her gaze, there is strength in his eyes, but not maliciousness. "You are in a part of the mind that is darkness Seras. When you seek answers so strongly, you will only end up here. Few keep the truth in the forefront of their thoughts." His words make sense to her and she realises that it is the first time anyone has actually explained anything vampiric to her. Her suspicion rises, "Who are you?" He smiles softly, "You know me Seras Victoria. I am Csont." Her eyes widen. "You. Why?" His eyes become urgent. "I am here to help Seras, but you must withdraw. This artificial is dying and you must not be within him when it occurs. You will be trapped and so will I." Her eyes widen and she feels panic rise like bile in her throat. "But I, I've never…" He reaches out his hand and takes hers gently. A feeling of safety washes over her, much like the one she finds in her Master's presence. "But Master? Surely he…" Csont shakes his head. "He has not come for you." Seras struggles with his words, unable to fathom the sudden abandonment. "But he… I know he…" She feels tears in her eyes and wipes them away with her free hand. "Hush." Csont draws her into his arms and she feels them moving away from the dark place. "The subconscious will make you more susceptible to emotions Seras." She realises with a start that she is no longer crying. 'How could I react so badly to such a small thing?' It is then that she feels a weak pull, it is familiar and she remembers that it is the link she used to enter the Freak's mind. She feels Csont's smile. "Such strength." His arms loosen around her. "I'm the reason he's dying now aren't I." He watches her, "It is not your fault. You do not know your own power yet." He fades from sight and she feels herself falling back to the familiarity that is her own mind. His words are somehow a great comfort to her.

* * *

A super long chapter. I guess I'm on a streak at the moment because this storyline is coming together AND I am a sucker for people who nag for updates. If you have questions just let me know and if I don't answer, it is because you're not supposed to know something yet ;) Please read and review. I love hearing your opinions and thoughts on the story.

Oh, in response to tickles - i'll check about Ferguson, and the ghouls in chapter one are leftovers from Incognito. This story is set not too long after (assuming Integra didn't spend too long in custody)

Disclaimer: Hellsing is not mine and I am writing about it because I can't get enough of it. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Her mind is pleasantly foggy and she finds herself wishing to stay there in the mist. "Miss Victoria! Miss Victoria!" Walter's voice cuts through her peace.

He shakes her gently, wary of the damage a slumbering vampire can do when awakened rudely. "Miss Victoria, please?" The cold tiles are disturbingly rigid beneath his knees. Integra voices her arrival in response to his call. "Walter?" Her ice-blue eyes fix on the still form of Seras.

* * *

"ALUCARD!" The ancient jerks to attention, the familiar tug at the very center of his being is now a vicious wrenching. His Master's mind is disarrayed and he catches fleeting images of his fledgling lying as if dead on white tiles. With a low growl he wills himself into his Master's presence.

* * *

"I'm… okay." Her voice is soft, almost as if she doesn't quite believe it herself. "Miss Victoria, are you sure, you're bleeding…" 'Quite heavily.' Walter's gaze falls to the deep scarlet staining his immaculate gloves. She lifts her face but her eyes do not seem to focus on his properly. "Yes, I mean, I…" Her words are cut off as the pressure in the room drops sharply and all eyes turn to the doorway as Alucard exits a portal. "What is the meaning of this?" His voice is laced with raw fury and Seras cowers instinctively behind Walter. Her Master takes in the room at a glance, crimson eyes lingering on the still form of the Freak. Thick, squalid blood runs trails from its eyes and ears. His gaze jerks to his fledging as she whimpers, acutely aware of the outrage that emanates from him. In one smooth movement he steps past Integra and around Walter to hoist his fledgling violently upward by her arm. "You foolish child! What were you thinking!" 

Seras shuts her eyes as he speaks, the velvet baritone having given way to a coarse, sinister pitch. When she doesn't answer, he shakes her, demanding a response. "Are you so stupid? Could you not think?" She quakes before her Master's rage and instinctively retreats into herself, blocking out his threatening ire. "Enough Alucard!" Her Master stiffens at his Master's voice. His response is low, filled with malice. "Stay out of this." Integra's eye twitches and she takes a step forward, acutely aware of the strange atmosphere that permeates the room. "Enough. You will cease Alucard, that is an **order**." She watches a sleek muscle in his jaw twitch. Without warning, he disappears.

* * *

Walter does his best to ignore the greedy fashion in which young Seras consumes the blood pack. She winces as his fingers brush her wound. "Are you sure you're alright Miss Victoria?" Nodding, she continues to consume the scarlet liquid. Walter concentrates on binding the lesion on her neck. "You seem to have reopened this…" He deliberately leaves the sentence hanging, hoping to draw some sort of response from her, but the midian is intent on her meal. 'No wonder. She lost twice as much blood as what's in that pack. Though, I would be pressed to say for certain how much of it was hers and how much was the Freak's.' The pack runs dry and he studies her as she places it on the bench beside them. There is something in her eyes, something sad. "Miss Victoria, do not worry about Sir Alucard." She fixes the butler with a beseeching look. "Am I that obvious?" He smiles gently at her. So honest, more so than vampire or human. "No. It is my duty to understand those under my care." Her brows furrow, as if she is trying to remember something. "Are we really so dishonest?" Walter watches her carefully. "Many times the truth does not lie in easy reach. It is buried in the subconscious, far from the prying eyes of those we care for." She lifts her face to meet his eyes and he sees comprehension spark in her ruby orbs. "I think I understand."

* * *

An hour. Sir Integra studies the blonde vampire before her. The young woman is obviously fatigued, but she is a dutiful officer, and her report comes before her recovery. "This might have waited Officer Victoria." 'For longer than an hour.' Seras shakes her head. "I'm sorry Sir, but I think it's important." Her commanding officer nods and gestures for her to take a seat. Seras waits long moments as she lights a cigar and draws a comforting breath. "Tell me what happened." 

"They were attacked." Integra nods, that much was obvious from the Freak's condition. Seras looks furtively at her lap. "I questioned him and he… told me that, well," The girl's discomfort grates on Integra, the vampire's obvious anxiety upsetting her nerves. "Yes…?" She looks up suddenly, eyes boring into her commander's. "It was the ghouls Sir, they were after the ghouls." Her back snaps rigid as she processes the information. "What could they possibly want with…?" "Control!" Seras blurts the word without thinking and Integra's eyes fix on the young vampire. "What? They wanted what?" She flinches back under the icy gaze. "I… I don't know. All he knew was, control." Integra nods, forcing herself to sit back in her high leather chair, drawing strength from the grounding of her solid desk and slow-burning cigar. "Who are they?" A frown tugs at the young vampire's features. "I don't know Sir. But they knew what they were after." Integra nods, "They were certainly thorough with those Freaks. Who ever they are, they knew how to silence them." Seras shakes her head slowly, causing the knight to watch her carefully. The girl's eyes are fixed on something she cannot see. "They didn't care if they killed them. It was all a show."

* * *

The chair disintegrates into pieces of jagged wood no larger than twigs and Alucard's smile has still not returned. He scowls distastefully at his chambers. There are no chairs left. With a growl he flashes from his stance near his door, to a seated position on top of his coffin, too enraged to walk the short distance. "Fool." The words are uttered with poisonous vehemence. She stank. He lifts his hand and stares at it blindly, her blood stains the glove. She stank of Freak and… something else. With an animalistic growl, the stain disappears and he stands. 'Things are getting out of hand.'

* * *

She presses the button to open the lid of her coffin and jumps. Her Master is there, lounging back on one of her chairs as if nothing has happened. "Master?" Her voice is timid. He tips his head to eye her from beneath his red fedora. "Good evening Police Girl." His voice holds amusement and she feels a flutter at its familiarity. "Good evening Master." She steps carefully out of her coffin. The world tilts to a crazy angle and she feels her knees give way. With a cry of pain, she comes down hard on the cold stone of her floor. Staying still for a moment, resting on her hands and knees, Seras gasps for unnecessary air. Gradually, the pounding in her head lessens and her world settles into a less absurd angle. "Feeling a little sore Police Girl?" Her Master's voice holds a mocking tone, a tad crueler than what she is used to. Gritting her teeth, she peers up at him. He has not moved an inch to assist her. "Master I," His smile darkens. "You what Police Girl? Are you sorry? Are you in pain?" The smile has become a sneer. "Are you now seeing your own foolishness? Do you have the slightest idea how close you came?" He rises to his feet as he speaks, towering over her, fighting to control the powerful flaring behind his yellow glasses. Suddenly angry, she forces herself to her feet, unwilling to grovel in front of him. "I don't care. I did my duty, I found what I needed to know!" His eyes narrow. "And did you enjoy your little romp in the meantime Police Girl? Did it satisfy you to feel that Freak dying around you?" His voice is low and husky, a menacing anger twisting it into something indefinable. She trembles before him, his darkness reaching out in writhing tendrils to engulf her chambers. "I…" His scent is strong, it carries on the shadows that fill the room. He steps forward. "Did he touch you Seras?" She feels his arms slip around her and his body is stiflingly close. "Did he hold you?" Her Master's voice is a venomous purr. "Is he the reason you drink? Does it make him happy?" Seras feels something snap at his words. Bastard! Wrenching herself hard, she pushes violently away from him. "How dare you? Get out!" Her eyes shine with unshed tears and the rims redden as they escape. "That's not it! That's not it at all!" Her Master's face darkens and his eyes flick upwards. With a growl his gaze meets hers again. "My Master calls Police Girl." He takes a step backward and darkness swallows him. She stares at the empty space in which he stood, disbelief shining in her crimson orbs. Of all the… to just disappear… Sinking to her knees, she lets out a sob. Not for him. She would **never **do it for him.

* * *

I don't know about this chapter, I think they went a little OOC, the atmosphere of the story keeps crashing back and forth, no doubt confusing the people trying to read it.  
Please read and review anyway though, I really am amazed at how kind everyone is being. 

Disclaimer: **Not mine.**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Hellsing is not mine, nor do I gain anything from writing about it barring the odd (and much appreciated) review.

My rabble is at the top this time. I guess something different for a chapter that feels kind of different to me. I apologise in advance for the strange formatting. Read and enjoy...

* * *

The door to Seras' room opens and she enters, huffing unnecessarily. 'Damned Master.' She sheds her boots quickly and makes her way to her shower, intent on washing the pale crimson sweat from her body.

* * *

Alucard feels his fledgling reenter the grounds of the Hellsing Manor. His attention to their bond is constant now, an incessant awareness of her location and activities. He settles back in his (new) chair and probes her mind. He is being as gentle as possible, though he prefers to think of his stratagem as secretive. His temper has still not settled, even after yet another 'discussion' with his Master. Reaching for his crystal glass, Alucard takes a generous swallow of the scarlet within. "Now now Police Girl, why not relax a little."

* * *

Seras blinks, staring at the shower she was about to enter. 'I should relax.' The thought enters her head from nowhere and she smiles glumly. Turning off the shower, she begins to run a bath.

* * *

Alucard makes a short sound of pleasure as she bends so easily to his desire and, concentrating intently, he sends waves of placid contentment through their bond.

* * *

Seras slips into the bath with a sigh. 'I should go running more often,' she pauses and smiles, 'if only to feel like this at the end of it.' The draculina sinks into the hot tub and wills the tension from her body as she slips entirely beneath the surface.

* * *

The elder vampire swills another mouthful of crimson across his tongue. After a moment, he presses further into her mind.

* * *

"_You know me Seras Victoria. I am Csont."_ A sneer finds its way across the vampire's face, his suspicions confirmed. 'It makes sense, my fledgling is far too weak to have survived such an experience.'

* * *

"_You know me Seras Victoria. I am Csont."_ Seras' eyes open beneath the water. 'Csont?' She can see her face reflected on the surface of the liquid above her. Warmth floods her and she closes her eyes again. "Yes Seras?" His voice is smooth, unruffled by her sudden call. 'What happened last night?' He is silent for a moment, but she knows he understands what she is asking. 'You entered the mind of an artificial.' Seras frowns beneath the surface of her bath. 'But why did we have to leave?' 'Because it was dangerous. Seras feels her frustration rise, his answers reminding her of her ambiguous sire. 'But other vampires do it all the time…' She is careful to keep her Master from her thoughts, unsure of her companion's view of him. 'You have undoubtedly been the victim of such things before Seras.' She knows that she would be blushing if she had fed when she awoke. His voice turns serious. 'You did not simply touch his mind Seras, you let yourself in completely.' She frowns, 'I don't think I understand.' Csont pauses. 'When he tried to touch your mind Seras, he opened a connection between you…' 'I remember.'

She is eager now, knowing his words are important. 'It is a simple thing to 'read' another's mind once that connection is established, but you are young Seras, and still learning the bounds of your strength. You allowed your emotions to rule you and you entered his mind completely.' 'I still don't see how that was dangerous.' Seras knows that by now, her Master would be growling at her ignorance. 'To enter someone's mind Seras, to control them is an… intimate thing. Once in, it is difficult to escape. What one experiences, both experience, in the past or the present.' Seras is quiet as she remembers her first awareness in that darker place. 'So that feeling was… the Freak's memories?' She can feel his quiet pride. 'Correct.' She cannot keep the smile from her face and Seras allows herself to rise to the surface of her bath. 'I have seen people controlled before…' she ventures. 'It is likely you have seen the power of suggestion Seras. The power lies in making the right suggestion, but if you can touch a person's mind and learn what they want, what they fear, then you will know what is most effective.' Wiping beads of warm water from her face, Seras sighs. 'Thank you.' Csont chuckles and she feels his mirth flood her mind, moving through their… bond? Seras' eyes snap open and she is suddenly aware of what she has been doing. The bathwater is stained a dark crimson. With a weak groan, she lifts her hand to her neck, finally aware of the pain that radiates from it. Her vision is wavering, but she catches sight of her hand and realises dimly that her flesh is very, very, white.

* * *

Alucard is aware of it the very moment it occurs this time. He reaches swiftly through their connection and growls when he finds nothing. "That fool." It is just like the last time. And the time before that.

* * *

The form of a tall, lithe, red clad man appears in Seras' empty bathroom. At least, he assumes it is empty, because his presence is not met by an indignant scream. He would have missed her if not for the scent of blood.

* * *

Seras whimpers. Her body is frigid and her limbs ache. 'Open your mouth.' Without thinking, she obeys, her body responding on an instinctual level to her Master's command. The smell of blood assaults her sensitive nose and Seras tries to open her eyes. "That's right little one." With a whimper she curls closer to her mattress, gripping the sheets tightly. "Do not fight me on this Police Girl. You need it." As his deep baritone whorls around her, she feels the thick plastic of a blood pack against her lips. 'I… can't.' 'You can Police Girl.' Alucard watches her face pucker into a frown as she argues silently with him. 'It's not right.' 'It is natural fledgling.' She writhes, trying weakly to get away from him, but the blanket tightens around her. His chuckle invades her foggy thoughts, vibrating through her body and shaking her mattress. "I have been called many things Police Girl, but bed clothes I have not." His words shake her and she finally opens her eyes. "Master!" Her voice is remarkably small when one takes into account her outrage at finding herself, for a second time, in his arms. His grin widens and he takes advantage of her gaping mouth, spilling crimson onto her tongue and lips. "Drink." Shaking her head, she brings her arm up to wipe her mouth but is stopped by an iron grip. "You will drink Police Girl. These games of yours are no longer an option." His voice lacks its usual menace and Seras senses that there is something else behind his insistence. "Very good Police Girl. Now think hard…" Her mind wanders backward without success. "I don't understand." He makes a low growl in the back of his throat and Seras feels an image pushed forcefully into her mind. The image is of a young girl, skin translucent, in a bath of blood.

With widening eyes she comprehends his presence, but not his change in attitude. His grip on her wrist does not loosen but she knows he has never actually **forced** her to feed before. His eyes narrow at her thoughts. 'Do not presume to know me Police Girl. I have never forced you before, but what makes you think I would not do it this time?" A shiver runs down her spine and Seras is instantly aware of how powerful he is, she is aware of just how potent the power suppressed in his frame. A grin splits his jaw as her hand relaxes in his grasp. "Better." Her thoughts turn inwards, his familiarity far too reminiscent of her most recent encounter with her sire. _"Do you drink for him?"_ Her eyes prick with tears. "Police Girl," She meets his gaze openly, forgetting for a moment her immense vulnerability. 'Yes Master?' Her voice is high, fragile in his mind. His eyes darken. 'You will drink for survival. Nothing else.' Her heart skips a beat and, for a giddy moment, she wonders if her understands. The image of herself from his point of view flies back to the forefront of her mind. Fragile, broken creature. A dead fledgling is no good to him, less trouble perhaps, but still no good. She reaches weakly for the blood pack, taking it from his hand and immediately loosing her grip on it. He captures it in an instant, encircling her hands in his silk glove. She shivers at the touch. "For **no one** Master." Something flashes in his eyes as the words leave her lips, voice small but unwavering.

In her Master's arms, for the first time, Seras drinks without regret.

* * *

You can only push someone so hard before something gives. Not necessarily your humanity, or even your morals, but more so your perception of a situation. Creatures seldom grow in leaps, but we lean in degrees until we are completely turned around. 


	9. Chapter 9

Integra glares at the reports on her desk. "Nothing, nothing and **more **nothing! Blast it all!" A cigar is smoldering in the crystal tray on her desk and her retainer places a delicate porcelain cup of earl-grey beside it. "Dammit Walter. All over England! How long has this been going on? They have been making a mockery of Hellsing!" The butler merely nods, long years of service lends him a flawless air. "We weren't to know Sir Integra." Her hand drops to her face and she shakes her head. "No Walter. I was naive, I didn't think. How foolish to take the decrease in activity as something so natural. There is nothing natural about FREAKS!" Her voice rises as a figure slips out of the wall behind her. "You called Master." She turns her frustration on the (ahem) innocent vampire. "You! Surely you _knew_ it was going on? No vampire activity gets past you Alucard, or so you would have me believe." A devilish trademark grin spills across his face. "Of course Master. No _vampire_ activity." Her scowl could most certainly turn a man to stone. "Don't toy with me vampire." The low growl only widens his grin. "What in the hell is going on here?" He doesn't miss a beat and, smooth as silk, walks straight through her imposing desk to take a seat in front of it, propping up his boots on her paperwork. "They are collecting ghouls Master." Walter takes a step away as his mistress' face discovers a new shade of rage. "I KNOW THAT DAMMIT!" He grins, tipping up his fedora to eyeball her. "So what else do you need to know?"

* * *

Her foot hits a shallow dent in the ground and the Halconnen threatens to overbalance her. "Blast." She utters the expletive quietly, conscious of the secrecy of her mission. Then again, it hasn't worked the previous three nights, so why now?

She finds her watch point and settles in with a sigh. Inevitably, she finds herself brooding over the previous night. _"For **no one** Master." _With a gentle sound she pushes her hair from her eyes. There will be no more guilt. Fixing her gaze on the warehouse before her, she feels that she may just find a future.

Crouching down beneath her mark, Seras peers through a musty window into the derelict structure. "Bloody stupid place to put a warehouse," she grumbles, brushing leaves from her uniform, "Fancy building one of these in the countryside like this." A low moan halts her words and she watches with detached interest as a ghoul stumbles past her line of sight. It is chewing on something unidentifiable. "Bloody hell." A low chuckle sounds behind her and she pitches forward, rolling as she does, to complete her maneuver onto her back, Halconnen pointed at an amused figure. "Is that how you greet me Seras?" She lowers her weapon when she realises who it is. But only a little. His green eyes glint with amusement and Seras feels a blush rising to her cheeks at her own defensiveness. 'Reason number 463 **not** to drink blood.' Her thoughts are grimly candid though, the memory of her Master's touch and the taste of blood still too fresh in her mind. Her hand rising to rub nervously at her neck, she is all too aware that she is bleeding once more. Csont's face darkens and she remembers yet again how loudly she thinks.

A sound draws her eyes back to the warehouse and she sees that a ghoul has managed to put his hand through the window. It stands there looking dumbly at the broken glass before swinging around and continuing back into the depths of the building, leaving rank strips of flesh to slide down the dusty glass. "Disgusting."

Seras looks up at the sound of his deep voice, having forgotten that he was even there. It is the first time she has seen him in physical form, and she finds herself examining him. His black hair is tied back and rests along an obsidian coat that reaches his ankles, floating lightly in a non-existent breeze. His garb suggests that he is old, though not an ancient. 'I wonder what he's doing here.' Her eyes rise to his face, 'Hell, I don't even know why I'm still here. This will never work.' He does not meet her questioning gaze, only stares thoughtfully at the building. "It is an ambitious plan, but a flawed one." She pales, 'Was I thinking so loudly that I gave the mission away?' He glances down at her, obviously picking up on the thoughts. "No Seras, I have been watching Hellsing these past nights." Her stomach constricts. But surely her Master would have sensed it? "Your leader's attempts to lure them out with ghouls are admirable, but she hasn't all of the information required to succeed." Seras frowns. "What do you mean?" He glances down at her, watching her expression carefully, "You almost had it before Seras. It isn't just any ghoul…" Her eyes widen and she clicks, "No, not just any ghoul. Csont, they don't want civilian ghouls do they?" His smile warms her. "Correct." She frowns, "But tonight, there are two in there from the local police for…" An explosion cuts her off and heat blasts along the right-hand side of her body, the light of the detonation blinding her for a moment. When she opens her eyes, she finds herself face to face with her companion. She thrusts herself backward, away from the unsettling solidity of his body. With a chuckle he stands and brushes himself off. "Now that's no way to treat someone who has saved your life twice now." She blinks, looking around. The clump of bushes she previously hid behind, is now more like a smoldering heap; he shielded her from the blast. Her eyes grow wide as she turns them to his face. "I…" His gaze is drawn away from her. "Your colleagues need you Seras." She gasps as she realises that there were soldiers hiding in the building. "Oh God." Turning to leave, she glances at Csont and he nods, "Go. I will answer your questions later." "But…" Her attention is pulled back to the warehouse by the scream of a man in pain and, when she turns back to him, she finds Csont gone.

His voice sounds clearly in her head. 'Meet me tomorrow night Seras. Be at the northern gate.'

* * *

Getting out of the manor was easy. For no good reason, it was as if her Master couldn't even sense her.

* * *

Seras' breath comes in cold mushrooms of air and she shifts her feet nervously. The sign above her reads 'Northern Gate.' Her fingertips travel over the wound on her neck. It has been two weeks now, two weeks and the wound won't heal. Not even with her fairly regular drinking. Touching it has become a habit, it makes her feel almost… human. "Seras." Seras quells the urge to jump at his voice. "Good Evening." She tries desperately not to think of all the reasons she shouldn't be at the gate. 'Besides the fact that Master would kill me for this.' An inky shadow slips across her vision and from it step Csont. She finds herself staring at him, taking in the obsidian coat; almost a Victorian design. "Ahem." The clearing of his throat is even more forced, considering that he is certainly not human. Seras' eyes meet his gaze and she hopes that he doesn't notice her blush. "You asked me to meet you…" His smile is small, self-satisfied. "I did." His footsteps are slow and measured as he circles her. "How did the mission go today Seras? Did you catch them?" His tone is not mocking, but she feels a flood of confidence from him that tells her he knows the answer. She shivers at the unsettling thought of their strange bond, so like that of her Master but also… different. She fixes him with a steady gaze. "The mission failed. There were four soldiers inside the building at the time of the explosion." "And the two killed on the outside." Her eyes snap up to his. "You were there the whole time?" "Yes." Seras feels a frown pull at her features. "If you know something Csont," He holds up a slender, gloved hand to stop her. "That's why I asked you here Seras. This thing… I cannot explain it." His gaze slips from hers into the darkness. "What they are doing, what we are doing, you have to **see**."

Her breath, however unnecessary, catches and she feels the betrayal seep into her. "We?" she takes a step back, "You're… you're one of them?" Tears threaten and suddenly she realises how stupid she has been. She has let another in, she has been thinking of him as a friend, a teacher, a comrade. "Why…?" His eyes are locked on hers and he can see the tension in his jaw. "I have been watching you Seras, watching you and watching Hellsing." His eyes lift to the manor behind them. "Hellsing is my assignment." Seras' entire body is tensed, the only thing keeping her in place is his voice. Somewhere, something inside of her, has to know. Has to know why. "When I saw you Seras, I knew you were it. Our organization…" He pauses, "It is out of control. The things that we are doing, in the name of our Master, they are… unspeakable." His ivy orbs flash with something frightening and Seras feels a shiver run down her spine. oh how she longs for the comforting presence of her Master, terrifying but constant. "I have waited as long as I dare Seras but tonight, you are as ready as I can make you in the time I have. Tonight you must see what you're up against." His eyes grow pleading. "You must come with me."

* * *

Okay, another cliff hanger, I am sorry but the chapter would have just been too long. We're back on track with the storyline now though, I think there will only be three or four more chapters, so thank you to everyone that is reading and especially those of you kind enough to review. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: Hellsing is **not** mine. If it was, I'd be working on another anime series :)


	10. Chapter 10

"You must come with me." His green eyes are pleading but she knows that this man will not beg. A million reasons not to go rush to the forefront of her mind but then, there are a few quite good ones that say she should. Her sense of duty is aroused, not to mention her sense of curiosity, for the sake of Hellsing, she needs to find out what these people are doing. Her eyes are shaded as she meets his; who is she trying to kid anyway? She cannot help but enjoy the presence of the man. 'Be courageous for once in your life Seras!' She chooses to ignore her mental voice. "Okay." He bestows a huge smile on the unsuspecting fledgling. "Thank you." It melts away almost immediately. "But we must hurry. We will travel as shadows." Her breath catches, "But Csont, I… I can't do that yet." He throws her a smile over his shoulder. "Watch me, **feel** it. Then try for yourself."

* * *

Her eyes are riveted on his dissipating form and a shiver passes through her. The process feels entirely too much like the way her Master coerces thoughts and images into her mind. Suddenly, his voice is all around her. 'Now Seras, you must try.' Nodding, she shuts her eyes as she feels the inky cold that is his body brush against her.

* * *

Csont smiles as the fledgling's image before him ripples. Brushing against her, she seems to absorb the feeling of his shadow and take it into herself, her own shadows washing over her in a wave.

* * *

Seras doesn't need to open her eyes. In a sense, she is everywhere and nowhere. She can feel herself moved by the tiny variances in the night air and the sensation is… thrilling. 'Csont?' She can feel his grin. 'I am here.' Attempting to move towards him, she finds herself spreading apart, parts of her slipping to his form and others simply staying where she once was. Panic sets in on the young midian. 'Csont!' His darkness moves and she feels disturbingly solid limbs wrap around her form. His deep voice sounds as if it is being purred in her ear. 'I have you Seras, we will travel together.'

Secretly, she is glowing with pride at her transformation. Outwardly, she is waiting for a strong gust of wind to come and end her life. Her traveling companion chuckles. 'A breeze cannot destroy an immortal. You would become a wanderer is all, searching for your scattered essence for all eternity.' Seras makes a disapproving sound. 'Great, even better.' His chuckle answers her but is soon cut short. 'This is the entrance.'

* * *

Seras has never been in this part of London before. The streetlights don't shine here instead, they fight desperately against the blackness that threatens to swallow them. Those that haven't been smashed do anyway. He releases her in front of a decrepit building. 'You must stay as you are, I will take us in. whatever you do, you must not make a sound.' His body forms and she realises that the effect on his coat is part of his darkness, he is never truly solid. He turns his flashing green eyes to her undefined form. "I can shield your thoughts and presence from them, but not the sounds you make. Anyone you touch or brush against will only feel a chill." He takes a step forward and rises a hand to catch some of her darkness. The sensation to Seras is as if he has taken her hand in his own. "A seamless transformation." His voice is a murmur. "You are truly his fledgling," A sad smile lights his face, "But so uniquely yourself." Seras wonders briefly if a shadow can blush. "Stay close."

* * *

The elder vampire rages through the manor. His progress through the building is easily traceable by the screams of abused house staff. It takes the Master vampire two hours to thoroughly search the manor, his task obstructed by his impeded bond with the disobedient fledgling. By the time he is done, there is not an ounce of patience left in his lithe frame.

* * *

His presence swirls dangerously, announcing his arrival in his Master's chambers. Integra has no time for a bored undead. "Out Alucard. I am not going to play with you tonight." The Master vampire does not even twitch at her suggestive words, his voice echoing in a disturbing growl. "Permission to roam Master." She doesn't even look up. "Denied." With a roar of pure rage, he slams his fists down on her desk, the heavy wood cracking under the blow. Integra's head shoots up. 'Blast. I would have preferred a bored vampire.' His eyes are dark and the room is swirling with shadows that hold something unutterably Alucard. "I. Am. Going. Out. Master." Integra's eyes narrow and she chooses her words carefully. Possession of the situation is no longer her own. "Fine. You will not destroy anything though." His darkened eyes do not change but a smirk travels across his face. "I intend to destroy anything that displeases me Master." The knight nervously draws at her cigar. She can feel the weight of the straining seals in the room. "You will destroy no human life." Her monster grins wickedly. "Oh, she is **not** human."

* * *

The hallways are empty and Csont's footsteps echo unsettlingly in the silence. 'How much farther is it?' He does not even glance her way, his facade is perfect. 'Not much longer Seras. There is ademonstration scheduled today, they started about ten minutes ago. I am supposed to supervise them with the research team so they are expecting me.' Seras' stomach constricts, the equivalent of an uncomfortable looking swirl in the shadows. 'What are they doing to these creatures?'

"You're late." Consecro's dark grey eyes narrow at his colleague. Csont simply frowns. "It is of no consequence. Have we begun?" The other nods and pushes aside the men in white coats to make room for himself and his collaborator. "What are the results so far?" Csont questions one of the coats. "Sir, control has reached optimum. The last few subjects have displayed one hundred percent obedience." "And the compatibility problems?" The coat pauses, "I believe we have worked out the bugs. They have been few and far between, affecting only the strongest willed subjects." Csont absorbs the information in silence but his companion growls. "That's not good enough. It is the strong willed ones we need." He throws a threatening glance around all of the scientists for good measure. "We will not be using civilian ghouls, if the formula is unreliable then our plans will be set back again." A smirk crosses his face. "I trust you all remember what happened the last time?" Seras, who is watching quietly from a corner of the cramped room, catches the distinct vibe of terror emanating from the scientists. Some of them seem human while the majority are undead. A thought drifts loudly from one of them. 'If we lose any more we won't have enough men to finish the research.'

Csont holds up a hand and steps between the two parties. "Enough. We are all aware of the consequences of failure." He turns to the scientist, "Show us the latest subject." The coats nod and busy themselves at control panels that dot the tiny room. Suddenly, a screen lifts and Seras realises that one wall is actually the back of a double-sided mirror. Through it, she sees a Hellsing soldier. Her breath catches and she has to restrain the small sound of distress that threatens to escape her throat. A scientist steps to the front of the window. "This subject was brought to us several nights ago from a successful raid to the north of the city." Seras recognizes the tag on the Ghouls shirt as being from the fifth battalion. They were deployed a week ago and due back in a few days. The man presses a few buttons and a small opening appears in the window. "He is of average will expected for a soldier turned by an artificial. His creator was terminated in a raid several days ago and he, along with his brothers, was brought to us. This one has displayed the highest will of the group and has become our main subject." The ghoul stumbles blindly around the small, sterile room. "The drug was administered ten minutes ago and he regained consciousness in five minutes forty seconds." A grunt from Consecro draws Seras' eyes. "At least you've improved something. I want it faster than that though. It's still not good enough." The mortal looks uncomfortable but continues. "We have been perfecting this batch for some time and I believe that it is ready. The fine motor control displayed has been superb and we've had breakthroughs with some of the weaker willed subjects speaking on command."

One of the coats steps forward, a blonde, and Seras receives the strongest sense that he is an old vampire. The scientist continues. "This vampire is of an average skill, about ninety years old and is fed adequately. He will demonstrate our latest levels." Seras watches the blonde vampire as he takes up a standing position near the opening in the glass. The vampire concentrates and suddenly the ghoul stop, turns, and stands to attention a couple of meters from the glass mirror. A table and a chair rest in the room and, in a display of the most coherent movement Seras has ever seen performed by a ghoul, the Hellsing soldier pulls out the chair and sets it down in front of the mirror, taking a seat. If she were in her usual form, she would be gnawing hard on her bottom lip. The soldier no longer looks like a ghoul. He looks more like a prisoner. Its face contorts in pain and Seras realises that somehow, it is trying to fight whatever the blonde vampire is commanding it to do. He speaks in quiet tones under his breath. "Now then. Do as you're told." The ghoul's hand lands on its knee and slowly, painfully, it drags its fingers along the limb. It tears up the cloth of its tattered uniform in one pass. Seras watches in horror as the ghoul does it again, this time tearing out its own flesh. 'Oh God.' She watches its fingernails gather fetid tissue until both hands are shredding at its limbs, ripping chunks of gore away until Seras can see the bone. Csont cuts in, his voice strained. "This is all very good but I don't see any utilization of fine motor skills. You have a fair way to go." The blonde vampire grins and Seras can hear the other inhuman scientists malignant chuckling. "Oh, but I saved the best for last with this Hellsing dog." Seras feels her stomach drop and she knows that she cannot stand by and watch. She throws herself through the crowd of people and against the glass as the ghoul renews its vicious self mutilation. 'No.' Pushing desperately she wishes with all of her being that she could phase through the glass. For a moment, she feels her solidarity waver, but then it is gone. She watches in helpless revulsion as the ghoul lifts a hand full of its own flesh to its face. His mouth opens. Seras screws shut her eyes as she feels blood tears spill from deep inside her. No one could deserve this fate. She feels a hand on her and, looking up, she finds that Csont's hand is resting on the glass, a comforting presence on her body. His eyes are hard as he watches the ghoul consume its grisly meal. "I must go." He glances at the others in the room. "Keep me updated on any changes." Turning, he leaves, his hand wrapped tightly around Seras' as he drags her from the room.

* * *

The blonde vampire turns back to the screen and grins at his associates. "I think he was actually pleased." Consecro's face pulls a measured frown, his eyes still on the ghoul. "Tell me, why has it stopped." All eyes turn to the ghoul in the room. Its hands, fingertips scraped raw, hang limp at its sides. The ghoul has stopped eating, its mouth is covered in blood. It isn't the fact that itis no longer lunching that draws their attention. It is the great, fat tears that roll down its rotting face.

* * *

The second they reach the outside of the building, Csont shifts into shadows and, engulfing Seras' trembling body, he guides them both back to the Hellsing Manor.

On arrival, he solidifies. "Seras?" She hasn't said a word the whole time and, even now, she does not answer. "Seras, I didn't want you to see that but… you needed to understand what they're doing." She does not speak, refusing even to allow her body to take its proper form. Csont looks sad. "There was nothing you could do. That glass is made to keep the undead on one side of it." He pauses and she feels him probe gently at her mind."Call for me… when you are ready Seras." His eyes are drawn back to the manor and an unreadable look crosses his face. "Good bye."

* * *

She travels as shadows through the Hellsing Manor, sometimes dissipating into mist. The fledgling is silent, brooding in her thoughts.

* * *

Alucard resists the urge to pounce on her the second he feels the bond reawaken. He growls low in his throat when he finds that she is near the outskirts of the grounds. 'So, you have been gallivanting my fledgling.' Instead, he fazes his hat and glasses away and settles back in her chair, feet propped nonchalantly on her table. This time, he will not let his anger get in the way of his need for answers.

* * *

Alucard watches as black shadows seep from beneath her doorway. His senses prickle and his body tenses, ready for any intruder. 'Master?' her voice sounds in his head and he blinks. She has spoken directly to him. "What is the meaning of this Police Girl?" She sounds tired as the shadows gather around her coffin. "I…" He watches with interest as she struggles hard to solidify, obviously unpracticed. His eyes narrow as her shape flickers. He stands with a low growl and steps to her side. Looking down, he speaks. "Concentrate Police Girl." Twin points glow blood-red in the midst of the trembling shadows and the light strengthens as her body appears.

He catches his foolish fledgling as she falls.

* * *

Well, that's chapter ten. I didn't think I'd actually get so far and I want to say a big thanks to my regular reviewers for encouraging me the whole way. Thank you kindly to Sanvean, Dragonlance, DaysOfTheNight and tickles for all of your support. And thank you to everyone else who pushed the review button and added their thoughts, I really appreciate them all.

DaysOfTheNight, and anyone else who wondered about Csont. His name is a mix of Latin and Hungarian. In Hungarian it literally means 'bone' and in Latin, it is an adaptation of darkness or blackness. It is pronounced in Hungarian as '_Chon_' but I see it as more of a silent c like '_Sont_'. Dark bones

Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs to persons that are not me. All donations and revenues should be directed to them.


	11. Chapter 11

Seras clings to her sheets as the ghoul continues its meal. 'No. Stop… It, it isn't right.' Shady figures surround the feasting abomination, their auras dark with excitement. 'You can't.' Her pleas are too small in her ears. 'But they can.' Csont's voice is sad and Seras finds herself drawn to it. 'Please, can't you make them stop?' His green eyes are dark, poignant emotions she cannot fathom. With her attention drawn elsewhere, the dream figures dissipate around her. 'Why Csont? How… did this happen to you?' He turns away and she can feel the tension in their strange bond. 'It was not my place to show you that.' His tone is chiding, the facade of confidence, that every vampire she has ever known wears, slips from him. 'It has been too long.' She cannot help herself, something deeply maternal responds to his distress. She steps forward and rests a hand, tentatively, on his back. 'Please. Tell me what this is all about.' She doesn't witness the tiny smile on his lips.

He turns, catching her wrist before she can pull it away. 'If I tell you, if I reveal what I have hidden, will you listen?' His voice is sour, as if he does not believe her sympathy. Her heart tells her that it is his defence. 'Yes.' Csont's eyes hold something unreadable. 'You want to know? You want to know how I gained my unlife, how I came under the service of my Master?' She feels a quiver of uncertainty but nods.

* * *

His sleeping fledgling grips his shirt-front tightly and her Master frowns. The movement has pulled him from his dozing state and into an unwelcome reality. For the second time in the same night, their bond is numb.

* * *

'I am not vampire Seras.' She frowns, absorbing the information. 'Then what…' 'I am the dark child of a pontianak.' Seras feels herself flush with shame. So many things she doesn't understand. If only her Master would… 'Do not fret little one. No single creature knows all there is to know.' His eyes grow far away. 'She is a pontianak. A woman who died during childbirth, giving her life for that of a stillborn and rising again to walk the earth. I saw her as all victims do, a beautiful woman. That was until she attacked me.' His eyes grow hard and Seras feels a deep-seated hatred emanate from him. 'She did not even need me to survive. I became one of the first of a mass that now form her 'organisation.' Seras frowns, 'But what do you mean she didn't need you to survive?' 'A pontianak does not drink blood in the conventional fashion of your kind. They posses a human body and drain it slowly, over years, from the inside.' A sour smile lurks in his face, 'What better way than to keep the victim alive, always producing new blood.' His eyes focus and, as they catch hers, his grip on her wrist tightens, pulling her closer to him. 'She will posses her victim for many years, claiming a new body when she pleases or when the host becomes frail. She will live forever.' Seras fights the urge to comfort him. 'But why don't you leave her?' Her mind races a mile a minute. Why does he still serve a Master he hates? His eyes are heavy with worldly knowledge. 'Our kind are similar to yours in that we serve our sire. But we cannot gain our freedom unless our sire grants it willingly or is destroyed.' A million things click into to place for Seras. 'You are bound to your Master forever?'

* * *

His fledgling whines a high-pitched, soft sound of distress and Alucard holds her tightly. There is no longer any doubt in his mind. That thing has invaded her completely.

* * *

'The irony of it, my dear Seras, is that we are so very different. Freedom for me would mean…' He trails off and his mouth sets in a hard line. It is as if he is going to lie to her, like he daren't believe his own words, 'Once released, I, and my comrades, will revert back to our… human forms.' Seras blinks in disbelief. 'But…' She struggles to control the tremor in her voice. He is so close to the one thing she desires with all of her soul. 'How long?' She is lucky that he is able to understand her. 'About three hundred years now.' Seras feels her heart break then, the full force of her own immortality hits her. To live for so long, bound to serve, with such hope so heartbreakingly close. 'How,' Her voice is a whisper and he leans nearer to hear her words. 'How can you endure it?' A small smile flits across his lips as he leans closer to the trembling girl. 'I survive it with the knowledge that one such as yourself exists…' his words trail off as he captures her mouth in a sweet, longing kiss.

* * *

Alucard probes her mind gently, a furtive attempt to enter, to become privy to whatever manipulation the creature is subjecting her to. His curiosity demands he know, his pride demands he cheat the creature and discover its cause. Suddenly, his fledgling emits the tiniest whimper, her body growing rigid and he feels her heart race. With a growl, he tears through the creature's cloaking.

* * *

Csont breaks the embrace gently, the stunned girl still assimilating his actions. His eyes narrow into the darkness that surrounds them. 'Even in your dreams we cannot be safe.' He releases her, taking a step back from her form with a sweep of his coat. His eyes search hers desperately. 'You hold the key Seras, you are the only one that can help us, that can help all of us.' A loud growl fills their surrounds and she tears her eyes from the fading figure to acknowledge it. 'Master?'

* * *

Her eyes open and she gazes groggily up at her Master. His face is a mask of pure fury. Power courses through their bond with the promise of agony to an unseen foe and Seras trembles as his scent rages in her senses. She struggles to reclaim a clear mind. "Master." Unbidden, tears spring to her eyes and she reaches forward, diving for his form. "I'm sorry Master."

Her arms wrap tightly around him and her small frame trembles with hindered sobs. Alucard is stiff in her embrace, unsettled to find that his anger is dissipating in the face of her distress. Rising a hand to stifle the bleeding at her throat, he strokes her hair in an odd, almost… tender gesture as he dips into her muddled mind. He gains only the slightest inclination of her encounter and it leaves him hot with fury.

For a moment, his aura was settled. Seras sits back suddenly as his anger returns. His eyes narrow as he phases to a standing position, dropping her unceremoniously from his lap onto the floor of her room. There is something unfettered in his expression, but he keeps a tight lid on the ferocity of his temper. He watches her with disquietened eyes as she picks herself up from the floor.

"Such a resourceful fledgling." His tone is cruel, his smile crueller. His feet lead him in a circle around her as he stalks her form. "Your Master does not train you…" Shadows gather about his body and they reach out to flicker dangerously at her. "…so you find another who can." His smirk screams of an unsound mind and his eyes are pure madness. "My what a loyal fledgling I have SIRED!" The word sounds like an explosion inside the room and inside her mind, his wrath crushing her tired psyche. "Master?" Her voice is tiny as she struggles against the pressure. "What a fool you are Police Girl." He steps forward as she drops to her knees, the excruciating pain threatening to overcome her tired body. "Tell me…" He leans down close to her as she curls into herself, fighting an agony that leaves her believing she is bleeding inside her own skull. "…are you intimate with every sob story that comes your way?" His mocking words carry a sour note of his own invidious pride. "If I told you mine would you…" "STOP IT!" Her voice rings out strongly as she lunges for him. "You will NOT do this to me!" Blood tears stain her face as she throws all of her weight at him. He grins and, lifting his hands, welcomes the struggling attacker into his embrace. "No…" Her voice is weak and he feels her remaining energy seep from her, like the blood that escapes her infuriating wound. He smiles as she falls limp in his arms. "Yes. You are ready." Bending close, he inhales her scent, acutely aware of the shiver of anticipation that crawls down his spine. "You will be stronger.' His tongue flicks out to taste the intoxicating blood that stains her neck. "You will be mine."

Laving her wound, he carries her attentively to her coffin. He drops the sleeping vampiress on the mattress and grins leeringly at her unmarred skin. Csont's mark is gone. "You fought well Seras."

* * *

Somehow, Seras knows that she has been asleep a long time, somehow, she knows that she is still asleep and somehow, she knows that she is being fed. 'Master?' Her mind enquires timidly, painfully aware of his most recent mood towards her. 'Yes Police Girl.' His voice is slightly amused, as if he has been listening to her thoughts. It seems an eternity since she last had that feeling. 'That is because I have erased his claim on you.' Her mind swirls as she tries to understand his words. 'He cloaked you Police Girl. For a short while it was… _difficult _to sense your thoughts.' Her dream self grins. 'And my where-abouts Master?' He growls a low, good-natured growl. 'Yes Police Girl.' She thinks a moment. 'I am asleep.' 'You are.' 'Why?' The elder nosferatu gives an undignified sniff. 'Because your body is weak. It must recover.' Confusion floods her. 'But I…' His stern tone cuts her off. 'Drinking your blood for a couple of nights does not give you the strength to practice vampiric powers Police Girl.' A blush works its way across her sleeping face. 'You didn't train me…' 'You weren't strong enough.' His simple statement stings as her mind replays his words. 'What do you mean… his claim?' Her mental voice is timid, but the asking is brave. She can feel her body now, she knows she is waking up. 'I removed his mark.' Her skin tingles strangely where she was once wounded. She feels her Master's silk-clad fingertips brush along the newly knitted skin and she shivers. "I should have seen how he was using it before." The murmur in his voice tells her that he believes her too deeply asleep to hear spoken words. She opens her eyes, surprised to find that he is leaning low over her coffin bed. "Master!" Her squeal gains no regard and he growls softly at her. "Stay still Police Girl and finish your blood." His other hand holds a pack to her mouth. She shies away from the pack and his face takes on an amused frown as the liquid spills from the side of her mouth. Her Master's grin is playful, a relaxed, teasing expression that she has not seen for a long while in his face.

His scent fills the room, clouding her mind. "Such a messy eater." Leaning forward, her Master laps the wasted blood from her face, his long tongue brushing wetly against her mouth. A quiver passes through her and memories of Csont's kiss spring unbidden to mind. Her Master withdraws immediately, his face a controlled mask of anger. Seras averts her eyes, a dark blush spreads crimson across her cheeks, fuelled by the blood he has just fed her. There is something calculating in his stare. "You are not to leave this room Police Girl." He states it flatly as he stands and straightens his jacket, leaving her small form curled up against her coffin. She starts. "But Master!" His eyes flare at her defiance. "You **will not** leave this room." His voice is crushing again.

As he fades, she knows she has no choice.

* * *

Poor Seras, her Master just can't seem to pick a mood and stick with it.I hope that this chapter at least explained a few things. If I was too vague, let me know. Pity the audience of a ditzy author>

Sanvean – I'm not familiar with OAV Tsuioku Hen Rurôni Kenshin, but I suppose the explanation in this chapter probably changed the similarity to it.

Disclaimer: Hellsing is, sadly, not mine. : (


	12. Chapter 12

If she were human, the cold air would sting her body. Then again, if she were human, she wouldn't be out in the middle of the night travelling as mist. Seras concentrates hard, keeping the heavy blanket over her mind, just as it was before, when he couldn't feel her. _'Drinking your blood for a couple of nights does not give you the strength to practice vampiric powers Police Girl.'_ The mist frowns. 'I am not weak. I will not be his plaything.' The wisps of nothing that are Seras bristle with anger. She won't follow him blindly anymore. She is strong enough whether he believes it or not.

Seras' perception turns back to the Hellsing manor and she feels a strange pull in her chest. Part of her wants to stay, wants to be safe in her room where her Master left her. 'Master.' A breeze pushes her form forward and she turns back to the forest, her decision made.

"What do you mean you've lost contact." The vampire Consecro scowls at his comrade. "Just that. The temporary bond has been broken. Her Master discovered it I believe." Csont's eyes betray nothing as Consecro turns to pace. "What are we going to do? We have been waiting hundreds of years for one like her…" The shadow that is Csont replies. "There is nothing we can do but wait. I have asked her…" The vampire turns to glare into the darkness. "You won't get near her again. Not if her Master knows." He growls with frustration and turns, throwing a savage punch at an unsuspecting wall of the chamber. "Dammit, I'll go mad if I have to wait much longer. I think…" Csont cuts him off. "Yes. I agree, our Mistress is beginning to suspect."

A quiver runs through the mist that is Seras' form as she gazes at the building. If it looked forbidding before, it is downright sinister now. 'For once…' Her thoughts linger on the memory of his eyes. _Three hundred years…_ To wait so long, to be so close. 'For once I will do what I think is right.' If her Master could hear her thoughts, she knows he would be laughing.

"Hush Consecro." The vampire turns to glare at his companion as he hisses, "What?" "We have company." Both figures shrink back into the shadows of the room, almost disappearing. They catch only the faintest impression of a being's approach. "Did you hear that?" Consecro's question is answered with a curt nod and he crouches, ready to strike at the intruder. Suddenly, a crystal voice rings timidly out. "Csont? Are you there?" "Wait!"

With a gasp Seras finds herself under attack, the solid body of a brunet vampire flying at her from the shadows. "What the bloody hell!" In a swift movement, she sidesteps him and finds herself facing off against a man who looks vaguely familiar. "Seras!" Easily distracted, as always, she turns to his voice. "Csont! I found you." The obvious pride on his face sparks a warm feeling in the fledgling's newly solidified stomach. "You did." He steps close and allows his eyes to rake over her, as if examining her for injury. She blushes under his ivy gaze. "I'm fine, but I thought I'd get lost…" An unpractised clearing of throat draws their attention back to the miffed brunet. Csont smiles at the obvious contempt on his face. "Seras, this is Consecro. My comrade in arms and one of the few vampires in this place." Csont's easy tone conveys his disregard for the strength of his colleague, but Seras finds herself unable to relax in his presence. There is something unsettling about the nosferatu, besides the murderous look that lurks beneath the surface. He bows stiffly to her and she finds herself at a loss for words. "Ah, hi." Staring at his face, she suddenly understands his familiarity. He was present at the mutilation of the ghoul/Hellsing soldier. The memory unsettles her and she finds herself avoiding the other vampire's gaze.

Csont's chuckle brings her out of it. "You are a timid one my dear." She blushes at the endearment but his face has already turned serious. "But if you are here then…?" Seras' hand rises habitually to her neck, fingertips brushing the place where is mark once was. "I…" The need to help him still burns inside her, but her Master's warnings will not allow her to offer assistance so easily. She straightens her back and fixes him with a level gaze. "I want to know why you marked me." Seras' eyes hold his intently and, although she hears the snicker Consecro emits, she does not turn instead, choosing to ignore the sound that reminds her far too much of the Hellsing soldiers. Csont's eyes darken at her question and she cannot shake the feeling that he has just mentally slapped his companion when the vampire's snicker is abruptly ended. "Seras…" His demeanour tenses and she is acutely aware of his every move. "I may be young, and inexperienced. But I will not be taken advantage of." Her expression is fierce and this time it is Csont that laughs. In a single gesture he sweeps forward and lifts her hand to his lips shattering her anger. "You are completely right to be upset young one. I should not have done such a thing." A strange look crosses his face. "Unfortunately, necessity breeds strange bedfellows. When I came across you, I could not allow you to walk away. You are…" His eyes flick up to rest on her ruby orbs. "unique. There is…" Without breaking eye contact, he brushes his lips across the back of her hand, inhaling her scent. "great strength in you Seras. Strength matched only by your spirit." A grin flicks across his facade as the midian before him suppresses a tremor. Her heart beats hard in her chest. "Do you still want my help?"

The smell of blood wakes the slumbering ancient. "Sleeping in your chair again Alucard? You are distracted." With a chuckle, he raises his face to meet the butler's eyes. "You presume to know me too well Angel of Death." A dangerous smirk splits the vampire's face. "It's a good thing you brought me a meal, otherwise I might not be feeling so lenient. You of all mortals should be aware of the consequences of waking a sleeping vampire." The aging retainer backs down with a smirk and a bow. "My apologies Alucard."

Contentment floods the immortal as he pierces the satchel of crimson. Perhaps smugness is a better way of describing it. Standing, he suckles the plastic, too satisfied to hate the cold, congealed muck Hellsing calls blood. Walking across the room, Alucard pauses and sniffs the air. With a growl, he reaches out his senses. "Dammit." A portal opens before him and he steps through it, heading to his Master's office. He refuses to wonder how she has masked her absence without the other's help. A grin curls his lips as he slips from the darkness to find a sleeping Integra, leaning awkwardly against her desk. "Perhaps she was not such a mistake after all."

The slab is hard and shivers run through Seras' body. They are not shivers of cold though. Her hands are tied tightly down by her sides and her ankles are similarly restrained. She instinctively tests the bonds. "You have my apologies Seras." Her eyes are drawn to Csont's face. "It must look real." She swallows hard and nods, not trusting herself to speak. The room is stifling with the aura of pain. It is the same room in which she witnessed the grotesque demise of the ghoul. Csont's hand on her shoulder quietens her. "It is necessary Seras." There is regret in his eyes and she reminds herself that she is helping them. _We cannot gain our freedom unless our sire grants it willingly or is destroyed. _Suddenly, she feels as if she should be comforting him. "I…" **'Police Girl. Where are you?'** Her Master's baritone sends a jolt through her body, even though his tone is not angry rather, bemused. "Are you alright little one?" She forces herself to meet his eyes. There is no turning back now. "Yes. Just, get it over with quickly, please." Shutting her eyes, she concentrates on fighting her Master's mental intrusion. Anything to avoid looking at the wicked syringe gleaming in Consecro's grasp.

cringe I'm sorry it's been so long between updates. I am afraid that the last few chapters were on a bit of a writing binge. That's how it is in the middle of the story though. We're near the end now however… one, maybe two more chapters to go. I like the idea of ending it on the thirteenth chapter, it kind of suits Hellsing in a way. I have missed seeing emails in my inbox though, so I shall try never to be so neglectful to a story again.

Disclaimer: I am **not **the owner of Hellsing or it's associated trademarks.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hellsing but I'm going to finish this fic!**

**Sorry about the formatting, something seems to be wrong with FF cause it keeps stripping all my line breaks and italics etc. I'll fix it when I can...**

"Csont. You will reveal yourself." The raven haired beauty crosses her legs on a velvet couch with an air of impatience, her voice echoing off the walls of the chamber. The large room is dark, ceiling fading to shadows and walls shrouded with rich cloths. The wealth of her domain is accompanied by the smell of water-rotted riches.

Csont steps from the shadows, a mild smile playing across his lips as he takes to his knee, bowing low before his superior. "Forgive me, I only wished to surprise you Mistress." The woman scowls at her subordinate, disdain of an ancient written across her young face. "You would do well to use more discretion. You know all too well that my mood in this place is not suited for surprises." A cold drop of water falls with a dull thunk onto Csont's coat, dripping from the leaking roof of the subbasement level. One can never be quite sure of when the basement ends and the cavernous sewers begin in the older parts of London. "My apologies, but the fact remains that I have a surprise for you." "**We. **Have a surprise for you." Their Master's head jerks up at Consecro's voice. "I assume this has something to do with the swathe of nothingness that has been lurking over your rooms these last weeks." Her lovely brows knit in anger. "I do not approve of my lessers fraternizing inappropriately." Csont's smile splits his jaw and, should Seras be around to make the comparison, she would say that he looks eerily like Alucard. "My Mistress. There is… only you." His form moves forward not quite walking and not quite in complete shadows, to take her hand and bestow upon it a murmur of a kiss. Her hand is yanked roughly from his grasp and said hand meets with the side of his high cheekbone with a resounding thud that sends the dark haired immortal flying away from her settee. Her violet eyes glow viciously as he placidly raises himself from the floor, debris and rotting silk clings to his clothes as the foul stench of the room does all who enter. His eyes are downcast in a show of respect proper for a minion. "Forgive me my Mistress." She cannot see the anger dancing in his shrouded eyes. "I shall not be so presumptuous." With a flourish he stands and the grit from his fall disappears from his form in a ripple of shadow. "But we have brought you a gift to lighten your mood."

The darkness is intolerable. Seras cannot feel her body but her third eye tells her that she is still bound. Once, not so long ago, the silence and blackness would have broken her. Now though, she stands tall, content to wait. 'You are correct Police Girl.' Seras controls the urge to whirl in the direction of her Master's voice but she knows him better than that. 'Show yourself Master.' There is little expression in her voice. Between his taunting and the… affections of Csont, she has little left to share. His slim, imposing figure materialises before her, his dark attractiveness not lost on her. 'Really Police Girl. Is that any way to greet your Master?' His smirk ticks her off. 'Master. You should not be here.' His smirk flashes immediately to a growl as he disappears, reappearing behind her to clamp a hand around her slender throat. 'You forget your place fledgling.' She does not bother to struggle against him. 'No. I understand it now.' The conviction in her voice irks the elder nosferatu and his other hand grasps her wrist, wrenching viciously. 'Oh. And, pray tell me, what is it that you understand?' Suddenly her figure is mist in his grasp, this time it is her corporeal body that fades to reappear behind him. Somehow, her lips brush his ear as she speaks. 'The fledgling-sire bond lets you talk to me…' His hand shoots upwards towards her neck but she is gone again, emerging in front of him. 'But you cannot find me in body. I am shielded Master.' He growls, fighting the urge to chase her. 'You are in my mind.' A smile plays across Seras' features as she taunts him, the first he has seen from his fledgling in close to a month. 'But you cannot find me.' His hands curl into tight fists, fingernails biting deeply into his palms. Another voice speaks up. 'Why do you keep coming after me Master?'

Seras' head shoots up at the sound startled by the voice that is sounding her thoughts. 'Who was that?' All at once, they are surrounded by thick shadows, humanoid with gleaming eyes both red and blue. 'Do you care for me Master?' The voice sounds from directly behind her and she jumps. A low growl bringing her face back in his direction. 'I always said you think too loudly Police Girl.' 'Master, what are they?'

Alucard grins at the sound of her question. Cocky child. 'I thought you had a _new_ teacher Police Girl? I thought you didn't want my help anymore?' His taunting earns him a strangled sound from his fledgling as another voice rises from behind her, causing her to step forward, straight against his hard body. Her hands grip his coat and he feels an intense stab of sensation pass through him as she looks into his eyes, fire back on her tongue. 'That's not fair Master. What the hell are these bloody things?' The absence of a whine in her voice makes him proud, the potency of her glare, the coercing push of her unconscious flexing of power, widens his grin. 'You smell so good my Master.' Colour stains her cheeks as she pushes herself away from him, glaring at the shadowed figures. 'I'm going to kill whoever said that.' The statement, wafting from the darkness causes the elder vampire to roar with laughter. 'Oh Police Girl. You are surely the **least** boring entity I have ever encountered.' 'How DARE you!' 'I am NOT your plaything!' 'You will not mock me.' 'I **hate **you.' The last statement causes his gaze to lock with hers and the glowing eyes of the indistinct figures surrounding them burn scarlet, the same shade as her own. 'Police Girl.' Her name is a warning as her body tenses to attack. 'They are your thoughts, your many sides. Do not allow them to overpower you.' Seras gives an animalistic growl echoed by the beings that stretch deep into the shadows. Voices whisper all around them, some in agonised torment and others like fire. 'You will burn Master!' 'Don't play with me anymore.' 'You cannot control me.' The true Seras grins. 'I have grown Master and I don't care if you approve. I am my self and you cannot force me to be anyone else.' Her eyes smoulder and settle to a deep red, eerily matching her Master's. 'Take my hand Seras.' His white glove stretches forward to her. 'I will help you escape this.' All at once everything comes into focus and he watches as the figures merge to one. Her aura rolls off her like waves. 'No Master. I am here by my own choice.'

The deadly still vampire lets out a roar of pain as he staggers backwards, hitting the wall of his chambers. His red orbs flicker open and his glasses and hat solidify. "Damnable fledgling. Forcing your Master from your mind does not convey proper respect for one's elder." An evil grin plays across his handsome features. "However, since you want it the hard way… I will play your little game" His form dissipates and a cloud of tiny screeching bats phases through the roof of his basement room into the night sky; after pausing to terrorise a lone maid on his way up.

Consecro fights to conceal his anxiety. The table to which the female vampire is tied lies before his Mistress, the fledgling's form shrouded by a black sheet. "What is this surprise of yours?" Csont takes his place beside the cloaked midian and, with a sudden flourish, whips back the sheet for his Mistress. "I bring you a host Mistress."

Waiting in the darkness Seras uses her third eye to glean as much as she can. She has little else to do. From her vantage point she can feel the minds of three. Csont, Consecro and… another. The mind is distinctly female, but clamped tightly shut to her subtle prying.

His Mistress' fingertips brush lightly along Seras' arm and Csont struggles to quell the sharp tang of anticipation lest he rouse his Mistress' suspicion. "Really." There is pleasure written on his Mistress' face. "You boys shouldn't have." "She is a stunning specimen Mistress." With a grin, Consecro reaches to touch Seras' hair only to have his hand snapped violently away. "Don't touch her." His Mistress' hiss is a low warning and the vampire backs wearily away followed closely by Csont. "She _is _very comely." Their Mistress' eyes are fixed on the maiden vampire as if hypnotised. "She will make an excellent host."

_"You want me to what?" Csont's eyes are pleading again, that look that stirs every maternal instinct Seras possesses. Consecro's rough voice cuts in. "You have to host her." His companion shoots him a glare, the endearing look fading from his eyes to be replaced with flashing anger. "Seras. Let me explain." His eyes fix back on hers. "Before she takes you we will administer a drug. It will allow you to keep your own mind. She will be weak for about half an hour after she possesses you." Consecro grins and cuts in, "That's when we attack. We'll strike together and drive her from your body."_

Seras shivers as she sifts through the memories sitting so clearly in Consecro's mind. 'Surely if I can see them his Master will have no trouble…' Her thoughts fade as she comes across the memory of him administering the drug. 'Like an open bloody book. How can this vampire be three hundred years old…' Digging a little deeper, she find the minutes after her descent into unconsciousness.

_"We've never used it on a vampire before Csont. How can we be sure?" His companion sniffs at his doubts, tenderly smoothing back the hair from her unconscious self's face. "Because…" he replies with a grin as he leans closer to the sleeping Seras. "She is a fledgling. Only her mind separates her from being a bloodthirsty ghoul, and only her purity prevented that from being destroyed." His face is close and he flicks a black tongue across her cheek. "The drug controls the body not the mind." "But Csont, it doesn't matter. Even if Mistress takes her, if we force her out of the body she will only take another. Maybe one of us." With a growl Csont suddenly lashes out at his comrade, drawing blood on the vampire's cheek. "Fool. She can only take a female. If nothing else it will buy us time. Besides…" His grin turns foul as he regards Seras' form, raking his eyes over her body. "We do not have to destroy her. We can simply keep_ _her mind trapped in this body. Provided we keep up the supply of the drug, she will be eternally ours to control, an immortal slave."_

Oh well, looks like there will be fourteen chapters after all. I actually have the last chapter half written though, so it should be up quickly. It all just got a little too long for one chapter.

Don't hesitate to prod me along though:) I really appreciate the time you all take to read and review. AND nothing makes me want to write more than your reviews, especially from you guys who take the time to send me constructive stuff.


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